By Ottilie Von Henning

An adult male chimpanzee is recovering well after undergoing ground-breaking spinal surgery to remove a tumor.

Mwelu, 34, a resident at Zoo Knoxville in Tennessee, is 10 days into his recovery following spinal surgery on September 19.

The operation, which removed a tumor pressing against Lu's spine, is believed to be the first of its kind performed on a chimpanzee .

The surgery was conducted at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine after an MRI revealed the tumor.

Dr. Talisha Moore, a veterinary neurologist, and Dr. James A. Killeffer, a human neurologist, collaborated on the operation.

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