Dados do Trabalho

Título

BOUNDARIES BETWEEN HUMANS AND CAPTIVE CHIMPANZEES (PAN TROGLODYTES): TWO CASES OF INTENSIVE CARE IN JAPAN

Resumo

We describe two cases of intensive care in chimpanzees at the KUPRI; Reo with acute tetraparesis and Puchi with subarachnoid hemorrhage. These cases had poor prognosis that could lead to euthanasia. Not quite so in Japan. Reo was 24-year-old when he suffered of acute tetraparesis from inflammation around the C1 and C2 level. He developed decubitus ulcers and the body weight dropped from 57 kg to 35 kg in two months, despite being under constant intensive care. For 41 months, along with conventional medical protocol, daily session of physiotherapy and touch-screen cognitive tasks to motivate walking were part of his rehabilitation. His locomotion considerably improved: From immobilization to being able to reposition himself (8th month), then, to being able to lift himself up using ropes and bars, Reo could be in upright posture most of the time during the day. Puchi, a previously healthy 51-year-old female was found unconscious and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. CPR was performed and she was under respiratory assistance for two days. KUPRI followed the human policy for brain death, requiring repeated neurological confirmations before any further measure. After diagnosis of brain death, Puchi was anesthetized and ventilator was disconnected. In general, euthanasia can be an option on such cases due to poor prognosis, financial and personnel cost. However, Japanese are more reluctant towards euthanasia compared to westerners. Likewise, in Western societies, cruelty is associated with unnecessary suffering. In Japan, however, Buddhist-Shintoist traditions directly relate cruelty to killing and have been suggested to partially explain this phenomenon. Furthermore, in KUPRI, strong bonds are created between staff and chimpanzees and our evolutionary proximity is also emphasized. These beliefs fostered symbolic and practical innovations in care and rehabilitation that may serve as guide for the treatment of physical impairments in captive great apes.

Financiamento

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) Leading Graduate Program in Primatology and Wildlife Science, Kyoto University (PWS) Fyssen Foundation CAPES, Ministry of Education of Brazil

Palavras-chave

rehabilitation; non-human primate; euthanasia