The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[Josh Greenman <joshg1973 AT yahoo.com>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/3012114.stmPioneering
 eye op for
monkey 

A revolutionary eye operation has been carried out on a Colombian Spider 
Monkey who was
born at a Staffordshire zoo. 

April, who is 14 months old, was the first monkey to be born blind at Drayton 
Manor Zoo
near Tamworth. 

The problem was picked up two weeks after she was born when keepers noticed 
she was not
making eye contact. 

Since then, she has been cared for at zoo manager Joyce Roberts' house. 

But last week, April became one of the first monkeys in the country to 
undergo a
pioneering operation, normally performed on babies, to replace her two 
lenses. 

'Small primate' 

The operation was carried out by specialists at The Willows Veterinary Clinic 
in
Birmingham. 

Ms Roberts said: "They would carry out this operation on a human baby when 
they're just a
few days old. 

"But with a primate, because she's so small, we've had to wait until she was 
big enough
to do it." 

Since the operation, the zoo says there has been signs that April's sight has 
been
restored. 

They will find out for sure when she goes back to the clinic on Monday 
morning. 

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/3012114.stm