COLUMBUS – The matriarch of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s gorilla family was reported to be doing well after a medical procedure.
Colo, the world’s oldest zoo-born gorilla at age 60, underwent a comprehensive two-hour medical exam Saturday morning during which veterinarians also took tissue samples from a mass under her arm to determine its cause, spokeswoman Patty Peters said.
The mass was first detected over the summer and, after consulting with other vets and human physicians, the staff decided to observe the mass for any changes, Peters said.
In recent weeks, Peters says the mass did change and made Colo noticeably uncomfortable.
“Animal care is our first priority at the Columbus Zoo, so once we saw that Colo was in discomfort from the mass under her arm, making the decision to perform the procedure was very easy “She needed our help, and we decided there was a greater risk if we did not examine her, especially if the biopsy finds that she has a treatable condition,” said the zoo’s vice president of animal health, Dr. Randy Junge.
The subject of national attention when she was born at the Columbus Zoo on Dec. 22, 1956, Colo was the first zoo-born gorilla. She is a western lowland gorilla and the oldest gorilla on record, already exceeding her normal life expectancy by more than two decades, Peters said.
Three full-time Columbus Zoo veterinarians and two full-time veterinary technicians were assisted during the exam by a team of specialists, including a cardiologist, an anesthesiologist and an ultrasound technician from OhioHealth, and a veterinary surgeon from MedVet, Peters said.
Peters says most zoo animals require anesthesia in order for veterinarians and other medical professionals to perform this type of diagnostic evaluation.