Posted on 07 Jul 2015
It isn't every day that doctors and vets come together to perform a UK first, life saving double operation on a 30-year-old Bornean orangutan, so when they did, ICG was on hand to make sure the world knew about it!
Vicky the orangutan, who lives at Blackpool Zoo, had two operations performed by leading human and animal medical experts to alleviate severe congestion caused by chronic sinusitis and air sacculitis.
Consultant ENT Surgeon, Jawed Tahery from Nuffield Health, The Grosvenor Hospital in Chester carried out functional endoscopic sinus surgery and zoo vets Karen Archer and Andrew Moore from Oakhill Veterinary Centre in Preston performed marsupialisation of the air sac.
They were joined by anaesthetist, Dr Paul Jamieson and staff nurse, Virginia Kayembe, from Nuffield Health, a team of specialist primate keepers from Blackpool Zoo as well as other human and animal medical specialists.
ICG worked with all parties, on behalf of client Blackpool Zoo, to pull together a media release to spread the news of the success of the operations.
Photography, provided by Blackpool Zoo's onsite photography whizz, was sent along with details of the procedure and quotes from key medical staff, to the national, regional and local press, who all loved the story!
TV coverage included BBC Breakfast News and Channel 5 News, whilst national newspapers including the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun and The Mirror all covered the story and printed the breathtaking pictures.
Regional radio stations Rock FM, BBC Radio Lancashire and Heart FM covered the story in regular news bulletins and online coverage included ITV and Reveal magazine!
