First Brain Surgery Performed on Bear

Michelle Nijhuis

for National Geographic News

Published April 11, 2013

In the mountains of northern Laos, a three-year-old Asiatic black bear has become a medical pioneer: the world's first bear to undergo brain surgery.

The bear, named Champa, has lived most of her life at a sanctuary run by Free the Bears, an Australian nonprofit group. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the city of Luang Prabang, the sanctuary protects bears that Lao officials have rescued from wildlife traffickers. The Asiatic black bear, or moon bear, whose bile is considered a valuable ingredient in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Rescued as a cub, Champa stood out from the start: She had a protruding forehead and had trouble socializing with the other bears at the sanctuary. Over time, her growth slowed, her behavior became more erratic, and her vision faded.

Sanctuary staff and veterinarians suspected hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain," a disease that strikes humans as well as animals. It's most commonly caused by the blockage or overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain's cavities.

In most Western countries, a wild animal with hydrocephalus would likely be euthanized. "Having hydrocephalus is like having an absolutely mind-blowing, constant migraine," said veterinarian Romain Pizzi. But because of the strong Buddhist tradition in Laos and the technicalities of its wildlife protection laws, euthanasia was not an option.

So Free the Bears called on Pizzi, a South African veterinary surgeon who works in Scotland at the Edinburgh Zoo and also at a national wildlife rescue center. Pizzi uses a technique called "keyhole," or laparoscopic surgery, in which surgery is performed through a small incision and with the help of a camera.

Continued: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130411-bear-brain-surgery-laos-wildlife-trafficking/