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Pierre the Chimp recovering from cataract surgery \u2013 credit, Chimp Haven, supplied<\/p>\n Pierre the Chimp recovering from cataract surgery \u2013 credit, Chimp Haven, supplied<\/p>\n
After becoming completely blind from cataracts, a 54-year-old chimpanzee named Pierre is seeing again following a successful surgery at Chimp Haven, the world\u2019s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.<\/p>\n
The procedure, the first cataract surgery performed for a resident at Chimp Haven, restored functional sight and allowed Pierre to quickly begin reconnecting with the people, chimpanzees, and activities familiar to him.<\/p>\n
As Pierre\u2019s vision had declined, caregivers adapted his daily routines and environment to help him continue navigating as independently as possible. Staff used sound cues and specialized feeding approaches and added handholds, ladders and other supports to areas Pierre used regularly.<\/p>\n
Eventually though, it was agreed that a surgical procedure was necessary, something which would require months of preparation.<\/p>\n
In preparation for his recovery and potential post-operative needs, the team used positive reinforcement training to teach Pierre to voluntarily present his eyes for care, including positioning that would allow staff to administer eyedrops and closely monitor his eyes if needed. Pierre learned to participate in this care while he was still blind, helping the team prepare to safely provide treatment without compromising his comfort or welfare.<\/p>\n
A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Kenneth Pierce, performed the procedure to remove cataracts from Pierre\u2019s eyes. The results were noticeable almost immediately.<\/p>\n
Within hours of surgery, he was responding visually to a longtime caregiver, and within days he was reuniting with Jill, one of his closest chimpanzee companions. Pierre was ultimately able to return to his social group earlier than initially expected.<\/p>\n
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Scenes from Pierre\u2019s surgery \u2013 credit, Chimp Haven, supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cPierre\u2019s recovery is a wonderful example of what individualized care can look like for an aging chimpanzee,\u201d said Dr. DaShaunt\u00e9 Coleman, veterinarian at Chimp Haven.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe surgery itself was only one part of the process. Months of preparation and collaboration across our care teams helped ensure Pierre was comfortable participating in any follow-up care that might be needed and gave him the best opportunity for a successful recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the first people Pierre saw was Colony Director Michelle Reininger, who has known and cared for him for more than 25 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching Pierre look at me again was something I will never forget,\u201d Reininger said.<\/p>\n
STORIES FROM THE TROUPE: Chimpanzees Share Experiences With Each Other \u2018Just Because\u2019\u2013A Trait Once Thought to Be Only Human (WATCH)<\/a><\/p>\n As lately as the 1980s, chimpanzees were still widely subjected to medical research trials in the US through captive breeding programs. Ethical debates about this practice became more common as the years went on<\/a>, while at the same time the National Institutes of Health was required to care for an ever greater number of captive chimps and the complex full-time care they need to thrive.<\/p>\n Varied groups proposed a species-specific sanctuary for chimps of all ages retired from medical research, and in 2000, the Caddo Parish Commission in Northwest Louisiana donated 200 wooded acres of the Eddie D. Jones Nature Park to build the new facility.<\/p>\n