Successful Brain Surgery In Asian Black Bear A World First

Champa, a three-year old Asian black bear, has successfully undergone brain surgery in Laos, reportedly the first time the procedure has ever been performed on a bear.

When she was a cub, Champa was brought to Free the Bears sanctuary, a non-profit bear rescue mission in Laos. As she grew, Champa exhibited signs of erratic behavior, trouble socializing with other bears and fading vision. Veterinarians suspected Champs had "water on the brain," or hydrocephalus - a condition that is described as exceedingly painful, which would explain the bear's behavior.

"Having hydrocephalus is like having an absolutely mind-blowing, constant migraine," said veterinarian Romain Pizzi, according to National Geographic.

The surgery took more than six hours and involved drilling a hole in the bear's skull and running a line to drain the excess fluid from her skull to her abdomen, where it can be easily absorbed. Champa is being hailed as a medical pioneer.

In many situations, a bear with Champa's condition would have been euthanized. But because of technical difficulties with Laotian wildlife protection law and the country's strong Buddhist traditions, killing the bear was not an option.  

According to Daily Mail - which has some great photos of post-surgery Champa -- Matt Hunt, chief executive of Free the Bears, said that by the morning after surgery, Champa was awake and "looking like a very different bear."

Hunt said Champa seemed to be able to recognize more."We can't know if her vision is fully recovered, but everyone certainly believes her vision has improved."

According to Free The Bears, Asian black bears, also called Moon bears, are a threatened species and given the highest levels of protection in Laos. The bears are frequently targeted by poachers to feed the demand for their bile and other body parts, which command high prices for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The bear's bile can sell for up to $9 a gram and the-producing gallbladder can fetch up to $3,000, according to an article by the L.A. Times.  

"Operating on one bear won't save bears from extinction, and making life better for one bear won't change the world," said veterinarian Pizzi. "But the world of that one bear is changed forever."