Скачать или смотреть Great Ape Heart Project

Great apes are complex, intelligent species. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is home to orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas, and one of the major health threats they face is cardiac disease. Recently, our Animal Health team–in collaboration with the Great Ape Heart Project, Detroit Zoo, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Medtronic–anesthetized six great apes (all with some degree of heart disease) to implant a small cardiac monitor, a device about one-third the size of a AAA battery, into the apes’ chests. The apes are male bonobos, Jimmy (age 42) and Maiko (age 38); orangutans, Dumplin (female, age 48) and Sulango (male, age 29); and silverback gorillas, Mac (age 38) and Ktembe (age 25). The cardiac monitors are now tracking the apes’ heart activity for signs of irregular heartbeats in real-time and will alert Columbus Zoo veterinarians of any abnormalities so the apes can be treated with medications or other procedures. Watch the video to learn more about this remarkable project.