By Ottilie Von Henning
An adult male chimpanzee is recovering well after undergoing ground-breaking spinal surgery to remove a tumor.
Mwelu, 34, a resident at Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee, is 10 days into his recovery following spinal surgery on September 19.
The operation, which removed a tumor pressing against Lu's spine, is believed to be the first of its kind performed on a chimpanzee.
Doctors perform spinal surgery on Lu, the chimpanzee. (Zoo Knoxville via SWNS)
The surgery was conducted at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine after an MRI revealed the tumor.
Dr. Talisha Moore, a veterinary neurologist, and Dr. James A. Killeffer, a human neurologist, collaborated on the operation.
Dr. Moore said: "This was an incredibly rare case. Chimps are far more like humans than they are like dogs or cats, so we knew we needed a unique surgical approach.
The chimp was sedated. (Zoo Knoxville via SWNS)
"Partnering with Dr. Killeffer allowed us to combine expertise from both veterinary and human medicine to give Lu the best chance at recovery."
Zookeepers had noticed that Lu had recently begun showing signs of weakness in his hind legs.
Dr. Julie Sheldon and Dr. Andrew Cushing examined Lu and discovered the tumor via MRI.
Lu is on the mend after the ground-breaking surgery. (Zoo Knoxville via SWNS)
After undergoing a CT scan to ensure there weren’t any other tumors, Lu was cleared for surgery.
Zoo officials reported that Lu is recovering in a special quarantine space, where he is already showing signs of improved movement.