A brown bear will undergo brain surgery at a British wildlife park, the first operation of its kind in Britain.
Boki, a 115kg brown bear at the Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, Kent, suffers from seizures and related health problems.
Today he is undergoing surgery after an MRI scan showed that he has hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain.
Romain Pizzi, the first surgeon to perform a similar operation on a black bear in Asia, has agreed to operate on Boki.
The Wildwood Trust said the operation and immediate aftercare for Boki will cost £20,000, but explained that without the operation the bear ‘wouldn’t survive the winter’.
Romain Pizzi, a wildlife veterinarian specialist, pictured performing on Boki
Two-year-old Boki will have his hair shaved from his head before the operation to drain fluid from his brain
A look at Boki during the operation taking place today to drain fluid from his brain
Mr Pizzi, left, volunteered his time and team to carry out the operation
Boki, a brown bear at the Wildwood Trust, near Canterbury, Kent, is suffering from seizures
The 115kg mammal will undergo brain surgery later today to improve its health
The operation – which will cost around £20,000 – will be the first of its kind in Britain
The trust added that it was “incredibly grateful” that Mr. Pizzi “volunteered his time and team to the cause.”
Mark Habben, Wildwood’s director of zoo operations, told ITV News: ‘Boki is loved by absolutely everyone, not just those who have met him, but also those who have seen his antics online.
‘He is very charismatic and friendly and has won the hearts of not only the staff, but also all our supporters.
‘It has been our absolute priority to find out why he is having seizures and get him the help he needs.’
To get Boki to his surgery, the team had to face a “tremendous challenge” of transferring him 100 miles.
The Wildwood Trust explained that without the surgery the bear ‘wouldn’t survive the winter’
Romain Pizzi, the first surgeon to perform a similar operation on a black bear in Asia, has agreed to operate on Boki
Boki had to be transferred as much as 160 kilometers before he could undergo surgery
Becky Copland, head of animal training, also told the news site: ‘We did a lot of work in the run-up to the scan to ensure he was as calm as possible and understood the processes.
‘This included practicing getting him into the crate and creating a nice, positive environment.
“We also worked with him to present his leg because we knew that on the day we had to give him an injection there to sedate him.
‘The whole procedure went very well and he fell asleep quickly, so we are very happy that all the hard work paid off.’