Blind in one eye and suffering from advanced cataract in the other, the Singapore Zoo’s oldest orang-utan recently regained his sight after a successful surgery.
It’s a common procedure for human beings, but we doubt eye specialists regularly carry it out on elderly apes. 60-year-old Bornean orang-utan Joko had been unable to see his surrounding clearly for years due to cataracts — the vision loss was caused by a clouding of the lens inside the eye.
Now Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) is happy to report that the senior resident of the zoo has since recovered from a cataract surgery carried out in February. Specialists from the Singapore National Eye Centre led the operation on Jojo’s eye, while WRS veterinarians took the opportunity to conduct a full health check as well.
“Aside from being blind in his left eye, Jojo was found to be of decent health for his age,” reports WRS. “He has been switched to a geriatric diet, and caregivers continue to monitor his quality of life so he can live comfortably in his old age.”
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