Boki the bear 'doing well but not out of woods yet' after UK first brain surgery

Bown bear named Boki, who underwent groundbreaking brain surgery in a UK first, is doing well but "not out of the woods" yet. The two-year-old at Wildwood Trust near Canterbury, Kent, had the operation on Wednesday after an MRI scan showed he was suffering from hydrocephalus – a dangerous build-up of fluid on the brain.

Despite battling seizures and other health issues, Boki has woken up and is said to be recovering well following his unique procedure. The Wildwood Trust said: "We are very pleased to report that Boki is awake and is doing as well as can be expected following his brain surgery yesterday."

"We are, of course, not out of the woods but he has been checked over this morning by Romain Pizzi and our vet, Elliott Simpson-Brown, from IZVG and they are happy with his recovery so far. The team at Wildwood will continue to monitor him closely to make sure he is responding to treatment."

The surgery, which aimed to alleviate the pressure on Boki's brain by draining the excess fluid, was performed by specialist wildlife veterinary surgeon Romain Pizzi at the Wildwood Trust. This pioneering operation marks the first of its kind in the UK, with Dr Pizzi having previously made history by performing a similar surgery on a black bear in Asia.

Dr Pizzi said: "You’re always a little bit nervous when you come in a day after an unusual or big operation, and there’s a lot that could have given us problems with Boki, but the good news is he’s actually doing really well this morning. He was a little bit sorry for himself, and any animal is going to have a little discomfort after an op, but he’s bright and alert and very mentally active and he’s taking his medication. So far so good."

Jon Forde, who leads the bear team at Wildwood, said: "He’s such a lovely animal. He’s unique. I’ve been a zookeeper for 15 years and there’s no-one else like him," he enthused. To assist with the coverage of Boki's surgery and immediate aftercare, which is anticipated to reach around £20,000, the conservation charity has launched a fundraising initiative.

Supporters wishing to learn more or contribute can visit: wildwoodtrust.org/brown-bear-rescue.