posted May 19, 2005 07:03 PM         

BOSTON (AP) - A baby gorilla at the Franklin Park Zoo is back in her mother's arms following an emergency medical procedure to treat a rare bone disease, zoo officials said Thursday.

Veterinarians at the zoo became concerned when the 6-month-old gorilla started showing signs of abnormal behavior over the past few weeks.

Tests performed on the gorilla Saturday showed signs of a metabolic bone disease, which is marked by a deficiency of vitamin D. When her condition appeared to be grow worse last Friday, the zoo assembled a team of experts to treat the gorilla.

The gorilla's mother, Kiki, was sedated Saturday so the baby could be taken from her and treated with vitamins and a calcium intravenous drip.

he zoo also called in two pediatricians who had never treated animals before last weekend.

Dr. Eleanor Menzin, who works at Longwood Pediatrics in Boston but was on leave with a broken leg, was surprised when a colleague asked her if she was available to help treat the gorilla.

"I have no idea about anything that has to do with gorillas," she said.

But Menzin knows how to diagnose and treat metabolic bone disease, though it is rare for human babies.

"There are subtle differences in treatment, but it's an extremely similar disease," in humans and gorillas, she said.

Dr. Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services for Zoo New England, said the Franklin Park Zoo regularly consults cardiologists, dentists and other doctors who have limited experience with veterinary medicine.

"They (gorillas) are just so much like humans," Murphy said. "It made more sense to call in a pediatrician rather than a veterinarian."

Children's Hospital ran the blood work on the baby gorilla. Dr. Mark Waltzman, a pediatrician at Children's, also helped with the treatment, drawing blood and administering an intravenous tube.

Waltzman said he has practiced on animals, but never treated a sick one before Saturday.

"The animal itself was acting just like a 5-month-old baby would," he said.

However, the 10-pound baby gorilla is much stronger than its human counterparts. And it has teeth and is prone to bite.

"Other than that, it was absolutely the cutest thing," Waltzman said.

The female baby was returned to her mother shortly after the procedure. Zoo officials say they're optimistic that the baby, who hasn't been named yet, will make a full recovery. In the meantime, mother and daughter are back on display in the zoo's Tropical Forest exhibit.

"We caught it really early," Murphy said. "We caught it before (there were) bone problems."

Murphy said zoo officials were reluctant to separate Kiki and its baby, which could have threatened to sever the bond between the two animals.

A gorilla raised by its mother "has a great advantage over gorillas who have to be (removed) and raised by people," said John Lineman, president and CEO of Zoo New England.

Menzin and Waltzman enjoyed their first animal patients, but neither is tempted to switch specialties.