Ground-breaking surgical procedure by South African team regarded as the first of its kind

Abstract

In what is regarded as a first of its kind, a group of South African veterinarians, together with a maxillofacial surgeon, succeeded in surgically lengthening the misaligned jaw of an adult male chimpanzee. Claude, a 15-year-old chimpanzee living at Chimp Eden, a South African chimpanzee sanctuary affiliated with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), had trouble eating properly. He came to Chimp Eden in 2010 from the Central African Republic where he was a victim of the bushmeat trade and kept as a pet. He was isolated in a small barred cage made of cement, with no trees or grass to enrich his life. Rescuers were made aware of Claude's plight and the JGI was contacted.