Gladys, the Cincinnati Zoo gorilla who underwent surgery in April to repair a broken arm, has taken another step toward her recovery.
The zoo announced Thursday that the 11-year-old gorilla’s eight-pound titanium cast had been removed.
Gladys originally broke her humerus in a fight with two younger females from the same herd and underwent surgery on April 14 and has been recovering ever since.
Gladys is now undergoing physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion in her arm.
“The x-rays today were really good,” said Cincinnati Zoo veterinarian Jessica Heintz, “and there’s been a huge improvement in her range of motion. We’re hopeful that as our gorilla team gives her more physical therapy, she’ll regain a lot of her range of motion and muscle.”
Although Gladys has been relieved of the burden of her custom-made cast, zoo visitors will have to wait a little longer to meet her as she has not yet been given the gorilla green light to return to her habitat with the other gorillas.
For now, Gladys will undergo physical therapy and gradually learn to climb and navigate spaces again, following her natural instincts.
It is not yet clear when she will be reintroduced into her habitat, but zookeepers will monitor her progress on a daily basis and make a decision accordingly.
“Keepers will continue to monitor the gorillas and make any necessary management adjustments to ensure a successful reintroduction,” said Victoria McGee, Cincinnati Zoo’s primate animal manager.
But she’s not going through this alone.
Cincinnati Zoo primate team leader Ashley Ashcraft said the group will keep Gladys within sight of her throughout this stage of her recovery to help her transition through the process.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Zoo gorilla Gladys thrown out with broken arm
