Elephant Doing OK After Surgery
The 19-year-old elephant who underwent the first-ever Cesarean section on a pachyderm was alert and “doing fine” Tuesday, according to officials at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
Tom Hanscom, a spokesman for the park, said that Jean, a 7,000-pound African elephant, had slept on her feet Monday night after the four-hour surgery was complete.
Tuesday morning she had “seemed depressed,” he said, but had taken a bath and interacted with the other elephants.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” he said, noting that Jean has not yet begun to eat. “She had a good afternoon, standing up on her own strength. So far, the vets aren’t worried.”
On Monday, a team of 11 doctors removed a 300-pound dead fetus from the mother after determining that the surgery was necessary to save her life. They worried, however, that Jean could become infected by the fetus’ decomposing tissue. They will continue to monitor the elephant around the clock for signs of infection, Hanscom said.
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