14 DAY TRIAL // Not too long ago, a gorilla living in captivity at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, US, underwent sinus surgery. The intervention proved a success, and the ape, which struggled with a runny nose for several months, can now once again breathe easy.
Staff at Woodland Park Zoo explain that the gorilla is named Vip, which is an acronym for Very Important Primate. It was born at a wildlife park in the Netherlands 35 years ago, and has been living in Seattle since 1996.
The 425-pound (193-kilogram) ape is a male, and has until now played its part in the birth of as many as 6 gorillas. According to Live Science, 2 of its offspring are still living with it at Woodland Park Zoo.
It was earlier this year, in February, that Vip first started showing signs of feeling ill. In a nutshell, it got the sniffles, and caretakers noticed a funny-looking liquid oozing out of its nose, information shared with the public says.
At first, keepers at Woodland Park Zoo attempted to address these symptoms in a more traditional way. Simply put, they made Vip take antibiotics. Unfortunately, this course of treatment failed to yield any results. Besides, the gorilla's illness took a turn for the worse.
After coming to terms with the fact that they were unable to help the ape get back on its feet on their own, staff at Woodland Park Zoo contacted Dr. Greg Davis with the University of Washington, who agreed to try and treat the gorilla's runny nose and associated symptoms.
Looking to determine the underlying cause of the ape's illness, Dr. Greg Davis used a CT scanner to closely examine it. It was thus discovered that Vip was suffering from a severe sinus infection, which was gradually eating away at the bones inside its skull, and which had caused significant swelling.
Dr. Greg Davis and colleagues agreed that the best way to treat the infection was to operate on the animal. Thus, it was this past August 25 that Vip underwent surgery. During the 4-hour intervention, surgeons removed not just pus, but also infected tissue and even bone fragments.
The gorilla is currently under strict observation, but appears to be feeling much better than it did prior to the surgery. Thus, it is finally able to once again breathe through its nose and is significantly more energetic. Dr. Greg Davis and the specialists who helped him treat Vip expect that the ape will soon make a complete recovery.