A Helping Hand for Hesty the Sumatran Orangutan

Last month, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital saw a unique collaboration between our Veterinary Medicine team and the hand and microvascular surgery team from Denver Health. Together, they successfully performed surgeries on Hesty, a 14-year-old Sumatran orangutan, after she sustained hand, foot, and elbow injuries during an interaction with another orangutan. While such interactions are rare, they are a normal part of this Critically Endangered species’ complex social relationships.
Thanks to the expert care from our Veterinary Medicine and Animal Care Teams, along with helping hands from Denver Health, Hesty is healing well and expected to make a full recovery. We spoke with Clinical Veterinarian Dr. Spencer Keheo to learn more about this unique operation and the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in #SavingWildlifeTogether. 🧡

[@judywebster6676]

Fascinating! Thank you for providing such excellent care.