Veterinarians in Malaysia are preparing to perform the first ever cataract operation on an orangutan, a report said today.

Aman, a 19-year-old male, has suffered from diminishing vision in both eyes since 2000.

"It will be the world's first cataract surgery on an orangutan and it is going to be performed on home territory," veterinarian S Amilan told New Straits Times . "It will be a big achievement."

Amilan will be assisting in the two-hour surgery, which will be performed on Tuesday by South African animal ophthalmologist Izak Venter at the Matang Wildlife Centre in Sarawak.

"This is not laser treatment. During the procedure, a small incision is made in the eye, then the lens is opened and the cloudy contents are removed by a probe," Venter said.

The operation would not entirely restore Aman's vision but the orangutan would be able to identify objects in front of it, he said.

Two serious accidents

According to officials at the wildlife centre, Aman was rescued from a market in Sarawak in 1989 and kept as a pet for three months before being surrendered to an animal sanctuary.

The orangutan was then moved to the Matang centre in 2000, where he has subsequently fathered two offspring.

"His offspring have a real chance to be released back into the wild in his lifetime," said S Sivagurunathan from the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation.

The cataract operation is not Aman's first experience on the operating table. He has had two serious accidents at the centre.

He bit an electric cable and had to have his tongue removed and in 2000, his left index finger was also bitten off by another orangutan.