15 Nov 2015

Chimpanzee undergoes ear surgery in Wellington

4:59 pm on 15 November 2015

A chimpanzee at Wellington Zoo has undergone surgery on her dodgy ear.

Persistent ear infections have plagued 33-year-old Cara's health in recent months and efforts to use a specially-moulded ear plug to help were unsuccessful.

The zoo's veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla said yesterday's surgery involved removing the entire ear canal.

The surgery is likely to affect Cara's hearing but would not make a difference to her interactions with the other chimpanzees.