How do you help a Chimpanzee with a fractured ankle? The answer is a surgery surprisingly similar to operating on a human, with the help of a leading South Australian orthopaedic surgeon!
Monarto Safari Park’s dedicated Chimpanzee keepers know all the personalities, behaviours and little quirks of each chimp at the park, so when they noticed 28-year-old male chimp, Sandali, wasn’t his usual self, they leapt into action.
With an initial examination revealing no clear external causes, a CT scan quickly revealed the problem under the skin – a fractured ankle.
Monarto Safari Park veterinarian, Oliver Funnell, led the care of Sandali’s injury and said the significant fracture would not heal on its own.
“There was a large fragment of the ankle that was fractured off and this had to be very securely fixed because there’s a very strong tendon that pulls on this fragment,” said Oliver.
Sandali is a very active Chimpanzee and it’s most likely he sustained the injury while swinging and leaping through the habitat.
Performing a general anaesthetic procedure on a Chimpanzee is a complex process and requires meticulous planning to safely anaesthetise, transport and operate on the animal. A big team came together to provide specialist care, including experienced Chimpanzee keepers and expert veterinarians from both Monarto Safari Park and The Austin Veterinary Specialists.
The team also consulted with an unexpected source – an orthopaedic surgeon who operates on humans!
“Chimpanzees share approximately 98.7% of our DNA, so because of the similarity between chimp and human anatomy, we consulted with an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Bhavin Jadav, on the best way to fix Sandali’s ankle fracture.
“Over a complex five hour surgery, we were able to fix the fracture in place with two special screws. The screws were then placed under fluoroscopy, which is a sort of repeated x-ray,” said Oliver.
This was the first time Dr Jadav had been involved in a surgery on a Chimpanzee and said he felt very privileged to be able to help.
“I was hugely impressed with the quality, level of care, meticulous detail and clarity of planning and communication that the team coordinated for this procedure. There are so many things that we, as human surgeons, take for granted in terms of communicating with the patient and perioperative care, so it was a real privilege to be able to help in this unique situation,” said Dr Jadav.
Director of The Austin Veterinary Specialists, Xander Huizing, said his team were thrilled to support the procedure.
“Performing surgery on a Chimpanzee is a complex endeavour, and it was truly remarkable that The Austin Vet Specialists could accommodate Sandali, along with Dr Oliver and Dr Jadav. Utilising our advanced veterinary CT scanner and state-of-the-art surgical suites, we assisted Dr Jadav in achieving the best possible outcome. Our dedicated team of volunteers were on hand to support the procedure and are eagerly anticipating seeing Sandali fully recovered and back in his natural habitat,” said Xander.
Following the operation, Sandali was quickly reunited with the troop and now two weeks on, is continuing to recover well.
“Sandali is looking great. He’s eating well, moving well and has integrated back with the rest of the troop. We’re very pleased with his progress.
“The level of care we’ve been able to offer Sandali is pretty much on par that a human patient would receive,” finished Oliver.
Chimpanzees are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List, making every single Chimpanzee in conservation organisations like Zoos SA vital to the future of the species. This procedure showcases the successful collaboration between experts to provide the best possible care, with Dr Jadav volunteering his skills and The Austin Veterinary Specialists volunteering their staff and specialist centre to help Sandali.
The public can visit the troop of 12 Chimpanzees at Monarto Safari Park. By visiting the park or purchasing a membership, the public can support Zoos SA’s conservation efforts to ensure this species survives for generations to come.
