Melbourne, Florida - Sad news comes from the Brevard Zoo after a young spider monkey injured his arm so badly that it had to be amputated.

A Facebook post from the zoo recounts the series of events leading up to the grim decision.

Last Wednesday, Sully stuck his arm through a fence and was unable to pull it back on his own.

When the zookeepers noticed this, they immediately rushed to his aid and cut through the fence to free him.

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Despite the quick rescue operation, X-rays showed that the monkey's arm was not in good shape.

It was broken right at the elbow, and it seemed almost impossible to restore function – the vets estimated its mobility at a maximum of 10%.

Healing would also have been associated with long-lasting pain and a high risk of further injury.

After careful consideration, the medical team therefore decided to amputate the arm completely.

"Due to his age, healing and adjustment to the absence of the limb are expected to be rapid," explained vet Dr. Zachariah.

"Primates with a missing arm are still able to thrive. This is especially true for spider monkeys, since they have prehensile tails," he added.

Sulley will hopefully have recovered soon and can then rejoin his group in the main enclosure.