10-year-old monkey at Utah zoo gets artificial lenses

[April 30, 2008]  MURRAY, Utah (AP) -- Doctors performed eye surgery on Eli, a 10-year-old monkey. He can't follow an eye chart, of course. But Eli's caretakers believe he can see better for the first time in years.

Doctors removed cataracts from Eli's eyes Monday and replaced his natural lenses with acrylic ones designed for children.

Within an hour, veterinarian Nicole MacLaren says the monkey was "running around and acting like he can see."

Eli, a howler monkey, lives at Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. The lenses were donated by Texas-based Alcon Surgical and should last the rest of his life.

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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com/

[Associated Press]

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