prev iousbenignvisits,butshecan-
notknowforsure.“There’sa levelof
understandinginanimalsthatwe
mayneverbeabletodecode,”she
says.“It’sthekindofthingthatgives
yougoosebumps.”
WhilethemembersofBuzinza’s
groupcontinuedtograzeinthesur-
roundingforest,theinterventionteam
hoistedthedozinggorillaontoa tarp
andhookedhertoa pulseoximeter
thatmonitoredherheartrateandher
blood’soxygenlevels.Hervitalswere
stable.Denstedtnoticedinflamed,
tooth-sizedpuncturewoundsonthe
gorilla’sinjuredarmandswelling
aroundherelbowjoint.Thiswasnot
a break;itwasa bite.Gorillafamilies
squabble,too,andDenstedtsuspects
Buzinzahadtussledwithanoth-
ermemberofhergroup.Cranfield
trimmedthe hair away fromthe
puncture– a woundmattedwithpus
andserumwillattractflies.Thenhe
flushedtheareaclean.
Afterwards,DenstedtliftedBuz-
inza’sinjuredarmandgentlyplaced
itonanX-rayplate.Theimagethat
appearedconfirmedtherewasno
fracture.Instead,Buzinzawassuf-
feringfromosteomyelitis,anaggres-
sivebonelesionbroughtonbyan
infectioncausedbythebite.“That
typeofconditionisincrediblyse-
rious,”Denstedtsays.“Ifahuman
hadosteomyelitis,theywouldbein
thehospitalonIVantibiotics.It’s
amazingthatBuzinzawaswalk-
ingaroundlikethat for a number of
days.”Withouttreatment,shewould
likelydieofsepsis.
Denstedtspentabout 15 minutes
takingX-raysofBuzinza’sarmand
shoulder.Assheworked,Denstedt
soothedher:“You’reallright.You’re
fine.”Denstedtwhispersthesewords
toallherpatients– dogs,catsand
gorillasalike.
“It’shardtoknowwhattheyare
comfortedbyandhowmuchtheyre-
allyfeelwhenwearetouchingthem.
Butyoustillfindyourselfsayingreas-
suringthings,”Denstedtexplains.“I
don’tknowthatit calmstheminany
way. Maybe it just calms us.”Thetreatmenttookaboutanhour.
TheGorillaDoctorsgaveBuzinza
injectionsofantibiotics,vitamins
andanti-inf lammatorymedication.
Thentheyadministeredadrugto
counteract the anaesthesiaand
watchedasshegroggilycameto.
Theyobservedheruntilshewasable
tomovesteadily,then left her alone
to join her family.ASDENSTEDT TOOK
X-RAYSOF BUZINZA’S
ARM,SHEWHISPERED
SOOTHING WORDS:
“YOU’REALL RIGHT.
YOU’RE FINE”32 Augus t 2019
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