A Wildwood Trust in England discovered that one of their brown bears, Boki, had hydrocephalus. This is fluid on the brain which had the potential to be fatal for the bear.

They discovered the hydrocephalus in October, but could not operate on Boki until after his hibernation so that they could see the effects on the bear. Boki woke up from hibernation in early March. On March 13, Boki was finally operated on.

The operation was successful, and zookeepers reported that Boki is back to his playful and active self. He’s interacting with the other animals as normal and has passed his first check-up. Veterinarians have deemed that Boki is very healthy, and they had no complications with the surgery.

This has been the first ever brain surgery on a brown bear. This is a day that has great scientific significance, and will open opportunities for more research and discoveries relating to the veterinarian field. This event may pave the way for future brain surgeries on various animals.