Nature
PUBLISHED
1
Having hay fever can be a pretty miserable time, with people looking for medicine or home remedies to relieve the symptoms. However, one gibbon took the task a little too far when it managed to wedge a piece of grass up its nose, requiring a quick trip to the vet to fix its handiwork.
Eight-year-old white-cheeked gibbon Cahn, who lives at Melbourne Zoo, first had to have a CT scan, followed by some careful vet work to remove the rogue blade of grass.
"Cahn had an infection in his nose due to the stuck piece of grass,” said Melbourne Zoo Senior Veterinarian Sarah Frith in a statement seen by IFLScience. "We were able to carefully remove it under anaesthetic, wash out his nose and apply some topical medications to manage his allergies."
"We also conducted a CT scan to rule out any other issues in his nasal passage, so since the grass was removed he's been feeling better," Frith added.
"The procedure was completely stress-free and a true team effort between Melbourne Zoo Vets, the Ear Nose and Throat specialist Dr Paul Paddle, and Insight's mobile vet van who provided the CT scan," said Frith. "Everything was carried out with the utmost care for our beloved Cahn."
Since the procedure, Cahn has been recovering in his habitat with 16-year-old mate Li-Lian, and the two have been loudly singing to each other.
In the wild, white-cheeked gibbons live in Vietnam and Laos, and are critically endangered due to hunting and habitat loss, as well as the capture of infants for the illegal pet trade.
These animals are also sexually dimorphic, meaning the males and females look quite different. They mate for life and, like Cahn and Li-Lian, will sing to each other through the treetops. Some gibbon species can even throw in some dance moves to attract a mate, too.
