- Tiffany, a 49-year-old gorilla, underwent surgery at Topeka Zoo on Wednesday
- The lowland gorilla had a significant amount of stool flushed from her colon
- Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said the surgery went well and she’s recovering
- Zookeepers realized last week that Tiffany had gradually lost her appetite
- The surgery was performed to check her organs to determine why she had been reluctant to eat
A gorilla at a Kansas zoo is recovering after having surgery for constipation.
Tiffany, a 49-year-old lowland gorilla, underwent the surgery on Wednesday at Topeka Zoo, west of Kansas City.
Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said the procedure went ‘really well.’
A significant amount of stool was found in her colon and was flushed out.
Tiffany, a 49-year-old lowland gorilla, underwent surgery for constipation on Wednesday at Topeka Zoo in Kansas
Wiley says the best-case scenario is that she will bounce back.
If issues continue, test results will be reviewed to determine how to treat her constipation.
Zookeepers did overnight shifts on Wednesday to ensure the gorilla was recuperating following the anesthetic.
They said she sat up and drank water for staff but had a restful night.
Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said the procedure went ‘really well’. A significant amount of stool was found in her colon and was flushed out
She was given medication and drank more water on Thursday morning, according to the zoo.
The zoo said staff first noticed on Friday that the gorilla wasn’t acting like herself.
Staff thought a storm the previous night might have upset her, but over the following days she lost more of her appetite.
The surgery was performed to check her organs and blood work to determine why she had been reluctant to eat.