Chimp Haven restores vision of 54-year-old Pierre, marking sanctuary first

Lousiana: After becoming completely blind from cataracts, a 54-year-old chimpanzee named Pierre is seeing again following a successful surgery at Chimp Haven, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary.

The procedure, the first cataract surgery ever performed for a resident at Chimp Haven, restored functional sight and allowed Pierre to quickly begin reconnecting with people, chimpanzees and activities familiar to him.

As Pierre’s vision declined, caregivers had adapted his daily routines to help him navigate independently. Staff used sound cues, specialized feeding approaches and added handholds and ladders to areas he used regularly.

Eventually, it was agreed that surgery was necessary, something which required months of preparation.In preparation for his recovery, the team used positive reinforcement training to teach Pierre to voluntarily present his eyes for care, including positioning that would allow staff to administer eyedrops. Pierre learned to participate in this care while he was still blind.

A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Kenneth Pierce, performed the procedure to remove cataracts from Pierre’s eyes. The results were noticeable almost immediately.

Within hours of surgery, he was responding visually to a longtime caregiver, and within days he was reuniting with Jill, one of his closest chimpanzee companions. Pierre was able to return to his social group earlier than initially expected.”Pierre’s recovery is a wonderful example of what individualized care can look like for an aging chimpanzee,” said Dr. DaShaunté Coleman, veterinarian at Chimp Haven.

“The surgery itself was only one part of the process. Months of preparation and collaboration across our care teams helped ensure Pierre was comfortable participating in any follow-up care that might be needed.”Among the first people Pierre saw was Colony Director Michelle Reininger, who has known and cared for him for more than 25 years.”Watching Pierre look at me again was something I will never forget,” Reininger said.

Chimp Haven, built on 200 wooded acres donated in Northwest Louisiana in 2000, provides hundreds of chimpanzees retired from medical research with enriched lives and sophisticated medical care.”Every chimpanzee ages differently, just like people do,” Dr. Coleman said. “Our goal is to understand what each individual needs and help them remain comfortable, active and connected to their social group as they age.”