Nail polish and chewing gum may not figure in the post surgical kit meant for animals but the package has worked wonders when has came to handling lion-tailed macaque (LTM) in the zoo here. Zoo officials decided to go for some radical changes after they ran out of wits trying to restrain tearing apart their sutures following surgeries, usually necessitated by frequent fights.
Manju, the female LTM was diagnosed with inguinal hernia a condition in which intestinal tissues push through inguinal cannl, a passage in the abdominal wall. Her belly was bulged outward and later it was found that she suffered from hernia that could prove to be untreated. She underwent a surgery and after enclosing the cavity, the zoo vet painted her nails bright red and pasted a chewing gum on her skin. “When she woke up, the bright red color acted as a distraction. Her focus was on the color. She had a sticky feeling with bubble made try to remove it. We made sure that the sutures remained intact. We also prevented further infections. said Jacob Alexander, zoo vet .
LTMs are a conatant head aches for the zoo staff due to their exploits and infighthing. When chased, the zookeepers leave them with scratches all over the body. Often a zookeeper tender to recuperating LTM 24 hours a day, keeping him occupied so that he wouldn’t fiddle with the stitches or tear it apart.
