Veterinarians prepare the Budapest Zoo�s

Veterinarians prepare the Budapest Zoo�s oldest gorilla, Liesel ready for an operation in Budapest on January 15, 2009. The surgery became necessary due to the progress of a tumour, which could cause the death of the ape. During the three-hour long intervention, doctors for humans, with assistance from the zoo�s veterinarians checked the 32-year-old female, lowland gorilla�s fibroids in the uterus, which are anatomically very similar to the human body. Surgery on gorillas is extremely rare, and this was the first time that this kind of intervention became mandatory in Hungary. AFP PHOTO / POOL (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)