A brown bear in Kent has successfully undergone brain surgery following a UK-first operation today.
Two-year-old Boki, who lives at Wildwood Trust between Canterbury and Herne Bay, was diagnosed with a condition called hydrocephalus earlier this year.
Having been suffering from seizures and other health-related issues, an MRI scan in April revealed he had a build-up of fluid in his brain.
Although his condition was initially managed with medication, keepers at the park say this is no longer having the same effect.
However, following a five-and-a-half hour operation this afternoon (October 9) to drain fluid from his brain, Boki is now away from the operating table having undergone one of the first treatments of its kind in the UK.
A spokesperson for the park said: “Boki’s pioneering brain surgery had gone to plan.
“We are relieved to share his life-saving brain surgery went according to plan, and, after more than five hours of intricate work, Boki is now safely back in his den.
“We will closely monitor Boki to assess his recovery and make sure he’s responding well to the treatment. Although the surgery is complete, we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Specialist wildlife surgeon Romain Pizzi – who is the only person to have performed brain surgery on a bear before – carried out the operation.
Speaking earlier this week, The Wildwood Trust said he was “the best possible person for the job and an absolute world leader in his field.”
It was also said Boki “would not survive through the winter” had the surgery not been completed.
However, despite Mr Pizzi volunteering his time and team to the project, the surgery and its immediate aftercare for Boki is expected to cost £20,000.
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It is hoped today’s surgery will be a one-off procedure.
While Boki will gain weight following the operation, the team at Wildwood is confident that his overall body length will not change significantly.
Boki was adopted by the park as a 10-month old cub.
Having been rejected by his mother at just 10 weeks, he was hand-reared at Port Lympne Safari Park near Hythe.
However, he needed a new home where he could have the space to play, explore and other ears to teach him natural bear behaviours, and was transferred to Wildwood.
