A brown bear is set to undergo a brain surgery at a British wildlife park in the first operation of its kind in the UK.
Boki, a 115kg brown bear at the Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, Kent, has been suffering from seizures and related health issues.
Today, he will be operated on after an MRI scan revealed 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 surgery and immediate aftercare for Boki will cost £20,000, but explained that without the operation the bear ‘would not survive the winter’.
Specialist wildlife veterinary surgeon, Romain Pizzi, pictured performing on Boki
Two-year-old Boki has his hair shaved from his head prior to surgery to drain fluid from his brain
A look at Boki during the operation which is taking place today to drain fluid from his brain
Mr Pizzi, left, volunteered his time and team to perform the surgery
Boki, a brown bear at the Wildwood Trust, near Canterbury, Kent, has been suffering from seizures
The 115kg mammal is set to undergo a brain surgery later today to improve his health
The operation – which will cost around £20,000 – is set to be the first of its kind in the UK
The trust added that it was ‘incredibly thankful’ Mr Pizzi had ‘volunteered his time and team’ to the case.
Mark Habben, Wildwood’s Director of Zoo Operations, told ITV News: ‘Boki is loved by absolutely everyone, not just people who have met him but those who have seen his antics online.
‘He’s really charismatic and friendly and has captured the hearts of not just the staff but every one of our supporters as well.
‘It has been our absolute priority to work out why he’s having seizures and to give him the help he needs.’
To get Boki to his operation, the team had to undergo an ‘immense challenge’ to transfer him 100 miles.
The Wildwood Trust explained that without the operation the bear ‘would not 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 a whopping 100 miles in order to have surgery
Becky Copland, head of animal training, also told the news site: ‘We did a lot of work in the lead up to the scan to make sure he was as calm as possible and understood the processes.
‘This included practising getting him into the crate and creating a nice, positive environment.
‘We also worked with him to present his leg as we knew on the day we would need to give him an injection there to sedate him.
‘The whole procedure went really well and he went to sleep quickly so we’re really pleased all the hard work paid off.’
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