NO MORE MONKEY BUSINESS

A BABY baboon is swinging back into action at Melbourne Zoo after being sidelined with a broken arm.

Seven-month-old “baby H” copped the knock to her elbow while playing with the other baboons.

After a delicate surgery the young primate has made a promising recovery, vet Sarah Frith said.

“She is moving fine, climbing, using her arm. We are over the moon. She has done so well,” Dr Frith said.

“It is really beautiful to see her back with her mum.”

Baby H had pins placed in her arm to help repair the fracture.

She was given space to recover but was soon able to go back into the fray.

Surgeon Sonya Wasik performed the surgery and said it presented unique challenges.

“Operating on a baboon is definitely not something I do every day,” Dr Wasik said.

“We knew that we had to get it right because baboons are a highly active and social species.”

Melbourne Zoo’s primates life science manager Harna Burton said apart from her shaved arm where she had the stitches, the injury was unnoticeable.

“She has just adapted straight back into family life and it’s baboon business as normal,” she said.

Baby H is one of 23 hamadryas baboons at the zoo.