Gorilla undergoes cataract surgery

A 42-year-old gorilla with severe cataracts received eye surgery at the Miami MetroZoo.

Doctors in Miami removed the cataracts from Josephine the gorilla's eyes and implanted new lenses.



The surgery is common among humans, but it is rarely done on gorillas because the animals rarely live past 50.

"This is one of the times we get to make a really huge difference," said veterinary ophthalmologist Dr. Tim Cutler. "It's relatively common for us to restore vision to dogs and sometimes cats, and there's nothing better than when we get to reunite them with their parents. But to be able to do that for Josephine, it will be one of the handfuls of times it has ever been done and probably really change her life. It's going to be awesome."

There's a photo gallery here.