Dunia Sibomana was able to sip a spoonful of chicken soup after recovering from a rare 14-hour procedure last month to repair his lips at a hospital in Long Island in New York State.
The operation - scheduled to take eight hours but extended because of complications - has also allowed Dunia, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, to keep food inside his mouth, speak more clearly and stop constant drooling.
Dunia was the only survivor in a group of three boys attacked by chimpanzees two years ago.
His lips were ripped off, one cheek was torn apart and he suffered muscle damage that made it difficult for him to eat, swallow or speak.
Dr Leon Klempner, a dentist who assisted on the operation and is the founder of the charity that brought Dunia to the US, said: "Amazing doesn't really encompass what was done in that room.
"This was ground-breaking surgery to restore both upper and lower lips and what I watched was skilled surgeons under a microscope sewing arteries to arteries, sutchering together, bringing nerves and veins together. This was pretty remarkable.
"This is the first of a series of surgeries. From looking at him, there's significant improvement already."
Alexander Dagum, lead surgeon at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said he was surprised by how much his patient can move his lips and said "everything's healing very nicely".
Dunia, who became shy and withdrawn after his disfigurement, will need more surgery this year and is staying with an American family while he undergoes treatment, which has been given for free by charity SmileRescueFund.org.
Soon after he awoke from surgery he called out: "Home - I need home! Ziggy!"
Ziggy is the name of the dog owned by the Crean family, with whom he is staying.
The charity has raised enough funds to pay for him to go to boarding school when he gets home.
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