A female orangutan named Peanuts from the Miami Zoo, known for her skillful use of the iPad, has been diagnosed with cancer.
“We realized that Peanuts was unhealthy because she became lethargic and ate poorly, but we hoped it was just a virus or a cold,” recalls one of the zoo attendants.
Six orangutans live on Jungle Island at the Miami Zoo, and all of them, under the guidance of caretaker Linda Jacobs, learned to use the iPad, draw on it, and play simple games. But Peanuts and her brother Pumpkin did it best.
The sick monkey underwent surgery and a sample of the tumor was sent for analysis, which turned out to be cancer. The sample was then transferred to the University of Miami, the Comparative Pathology Laboratory, where the similarities and differences between animal and human diseases are investigated. In the case of Peanuts, there was no difference. “I would never have guessed in my life that this sample was taken from an animal. The fabric looked like the fabric of the human body,”says Dr. Offiong Ickatt.
The type of cancer found in Peanut responds well to treatment in humans: according to doctors, in 70% -80% of cases, the disease can be overcome with the help of chemotherapy and antibodies treatment. True, they are dealing with an orangutan for the first time. A course of chemotherapy will be organized for Peanuts right at the zoo. As with humans, hair loss can be a side effect of chemotherapy.