PHOENIX — An orangutan from the Phoenix Zoo is recovering after having a second surgery to remove an extremely rare form of cancer, the zoo announced Friday.

Michael, a 38-year-old Bornean orangutan, was diagnosed with apocrine carcinoma, a type of cancer that affects sweat glands, several months ago.

How was Phoenix Zoo orangutan diagnosed with cancer?

The diagnosis was made after zookeepers noticed a skin mass, later determined to be a tumor, that was growing near the orangutan’s right armpit, the zoo said in a press release on Friday.

To the zoo’s knowledge, this is the first time any orangutan has been diagnosed with this form of cancer, which can be aggressive.

Michael underwent his first surgery in June. During the procedure, veterinarians removed the skin mass so it could be te

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