PREVIEW

Gladys the gorilla has been in the wars - but is thankfully on the mend after her broken arm was put in a 3D-printed titanium cast.

The 11-year-old primate was found in Cincinnati Zoo’s Gorilla World enclosure with a sore arm she wasn’t using after a scuffle with two younger females. X-rays subsequently revealed she had broken her left humerus. Gladys was initially fixed up with a temporary cast after being sedated and undergoing an operation - just like a human would - but the cast could not stand up to gorilla power. So, veterinarians and gorilla keepers at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden outfitted Gladys with the world’s first 3D-printed titanium cast, made by the firm GE Additive.

The new cast is much heavier, about 8 pounds, than the temporary cast but Zoo vets say that shouldn’t be a problem for Gladys. She will wear this cast for about four weeks and will remain behind the scenes at the zoo while she heals. She will be in proximity to her troop mates but will not share space with them until after the cast comes off. That doesn’t mean poor old Gladys isn’t feeling sorry for herself - but her care team is monitoring her closely and providing around-the-clock attention.