Mwelu the chimp during historic spinal surgery; image by Zoo Knoxville

KNOXVILLE - Mwelu (“Lu”), Zoo Knoxville's 34-year-old chimpanzee, continues to recover well following his historic spinal surgery. He has had no setbacks, and histopathology results confirmed that his mass was benign! There was no evidence of malignancy found.

Mwelu the Chimp; image by Zoo Knoxville

Lu has already shown improved mobility and is gaining strength each day. For now, he’s recovering indoors and away from the rest of the troop so his surgical site can heal properly. Though he is not with the other chimps yet, he is resting nearby with the ability to see and hear them from his recovery area. He’s getting plenty of attention from his dedicated human caregivers and is enjoying the extra attention.

The goal during this phase is to keep Lu calm and discourage climbing so his body can heal, which can be a challenge now that he’s feeling so much better. As his recovery continues, the team will carefully plan his reintroduction to the troop, but there’s no rush.