First Brain Surgery Performed on Bear

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