0:00:11 > 0:00:15'We share our world with some amazing animals,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'and sometimes they need our help.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:24When wild animals get sick, it takes radical thinking, extraordinary
0:00:24 > 0:00:27medical skills and great bravery to treat them and save lives.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31What are you doing?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'In this programme, I'll be finding out how vets are using
0:00:34 > 0:00:39'ingenuity and dedication to save animals across the globe.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Good girl, now let's see you swim.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'And vet Steve Leonard will be seeing how human medicine
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'can be adapted to transform animals' lives.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This is real bionic stuff, it's amazing.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'From keyhole brain surgery for a moon bear
0:00:59 > 0:01:01'to extreme elephant dentistry...
0:01:05 > 0:01:09'This is big animal medicine as you've never seen it before.'
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'I'm off the coast of Okinawa, the largest in a chain of
0:01:31 > 0:01:36'tropical islands that stretches south from mainland Japan to Taiwan.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45'I'm with Dr Keiichi Ueda, who today is going to try out
0:01:45 > 0:01:49'an extraordinary invention that's been over a decade in the making.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57'It could transform the life of Fuji, a dolphin with no tail.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04'Keiichi is a vet here at the Churaumi Aquarium.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:12So, this is breakfast?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14This is breakfast, yes.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Hello. Hi, darling.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Good girl.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22FUJI CLICKS
0:02:22 > 0:02:26And you sound like you're laughing. Are you laughing, Fuji?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Yeah.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33'Fuji's tail was destroyed by a bacterial infection
0:02:33 > 0:02:34'that almost killed her.'
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Oh, I see.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- 75% of it's gone?- Yeah.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46So she can't balance, and you can see it compared to the other dolphins,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50she can't stand up like they do, cos she hasn't got the balancing power.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54She can't jump, uh-huh.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05'Fuji is missing the end of her tail, which should split into two flukes.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'These propel dolphins through the water...
0:03:17 > 0:03:20'..and help them leap into the air.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28'They even use their flukes to communicate with each other.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43'Losing her tail radically changed Fuji's life.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47'The mother of three could barely swim,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50'and stopped socialising with the other dolphins.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56'For the last 12 years, Keiichi has been trying to find a solution.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'He's been developing prosthetic tails for Fuji,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06'and today he's going to try out the latest one.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:09This one is the first type.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11This is the original.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14The last type.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19When you first came up with the idea, what did everybody say?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Trial and error, uh-huh - and this is the most recent?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Yes.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And is this actually cast on her tail, so it's made...
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Yes.- Precision fitting, as it were?- Yes.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Have you tried this on Fuji?
0:04:48 > 0:04:50No, it's the first time.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And do you think she'll be able to swim fast?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54I hope.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And will she be able to jump?
0:04:56 > 0:04:57- Er, maybe.- OK.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01I hope.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13'If this tail works, it could transform Fuji's life.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25'The flukes have been modelled on those of one of Fuji's daughters.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32'The inside of the prosthetic fits snugly around Fuji's tail stump,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34'and is held in place by a brace.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'It needs to be just as strong as the real thing.'
0:05:47 > 0:05:49So we'll find out first of all
0:05:49 > 0:05:53whether she can swim properly with this, and also whether
0:05:53 > 0:05:57she can jump out of the water, cos that will be a really good sign.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Go, Fuji, go.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09'The tail seems to fit perfectly...
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'..but Fuji isn't swimming any better than before.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:29She is nervous.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Come on, Fuji.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Let's see you swim.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Good girl, away you go.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49'Keiichi can only hope that Fuji just needs some time to get used
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'to her new prosthetic,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'and remember what she's capable of with a fully functioning tail.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Good girl.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07She's warming up.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08She's warming up, is she?
0:07:11 > 0:07:12- I think she likes it.- Yes.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16She seems really proud of it,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19so she's waving it around and she's swimming really strongly.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Good girl, good girl!
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Good girl.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Look at her, she's going straight off on her back
0:07:31 > 0:07:37and flapping her tail - she's excited, isn't she?
0:07:38 > 0:07:43'But the ultimate test is if Fuji can jump out of the water.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:45She make a jump.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47She's going to try now?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Come on, Fuji.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Ah! Ha-ha!
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'At her first attempt, she manages a three-metre jump,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05'propelling her whole body out of the water.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Build up the power.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19She's going so much faster with the tail. Oh, yeah!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'Keiichi's determination has paid off.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'Her tail has given Fuji back her strength and speed.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45'It means she can leap and play with the other dolphins again.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47'It's given her a new lease of life.'
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Yeah!
0:09:13 > 0:09:17'There's always a chance that innovative techniques won't work...
0:09:19 > 0:09:21'..but the risks are even greater
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'when you're trying something new out in the jungle.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31'I'm in Laos, where vets are going to attempt
0:09:31 > 0:09:34'ground-breaking brain surgery.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45'These rainforests are home to a species of bear
0:09:45 > 0:09:48'that's only found here in Asia.'
0:09:55 > 0:09:59These are Asiatic black bears, or they're also called moon bears,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01cos they've got this moon shape across their chest.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Unfortunately they're threatened, because their bile is used
0:10:05 > 0:10:08in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'The Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre..'
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Hey, Didi, there you go.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'..is run by animal lover Mike Brocklehurst.'
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Come on, Mi-Mi.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24'Mike and his team currently look after 24 moon bears.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37'Four years ago, Mike took in a three-month-old cub called Champa
0:10:37 > 0:10:39'who'd been found in a nearby village.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:47When she came, she was in a, you know, a very bad way.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51She weighed 1.7 kilo, she was all legs and belly.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54She was obviously suffering with malnutrition,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56she had a big domed head with a pointy noise,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59her eyes were bulging out, all her teeth were going brown.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00I didn't think she'd survive,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so I used to take her home every day, bring her with me
0:11:03 > 0:11:05to the sanctuary, feed her throughout the day and night.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07So you were her surrogate dad at the time.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09At the time, surrogate mum and dad.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Come on, Champs, come on, Champs.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20'Champa never fully recovered.'
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Come on, Champs.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26At what point did you realise that,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29you know, there was something wrong there?
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Well, within a month or so she actually stabilised her condition,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and I thought, well, she's going to be a good, healthy little bear,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but I started realising that she wasn't developing
0:11:40 > 0:11:42as well as the other bears and she was perhaps losing her sight.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Yeah, and over the last six months she's started to decline.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Yeah, she has - she weighs probably about 20% less
0:11:48 > 0:11:50than the other bears of her age.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Some days she'll just want to stay in the hammock all day,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55she won't come outside. She doesn't do a lot.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02'The sanctuary's medical team think Champa was born with hydrocephalus,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'which means excess fluid builds up in her brain.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'The condition, which can also affect people,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11'means her brain hasn't properly developed.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'She has poor vision, and they think the pressure in her head
0:12:15 > 0:12:18'could be giving her excruciating headaches.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:24It's so hard just to watch her move.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28I get migraines, so I know what brain pain feels like,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32and she just looks like I feel when I've got a really bad head.
0:12:32 > 0:12:39This swinging motion, this dropping of her nose, and really slow,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42exaggerated movements, and then the loss of her sight
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and having to feel her way around.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47She's obviously a really sick bear.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58'The Buddhist tradition here in Laos and complex laws surrounding
0:12:58 > 0:13:02'endangered animals means putting Champa to sleep isn't an option.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Good girl.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'Mike is determined that, even if she won't ever have the same life
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'as the other bears, she should at least live without pain.'
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Good girl, good girl, eh?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Do you want to give me a hand with this?- No worries.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24'He's called in vet Romain Pizzi.'
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Right, can you just grab that?
0:13:26 > 0:13:27'Based at Edinburgh Zoo,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31'Romain is a pioneer of keyhole surgery for animals...
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'..and he thinks he'll be able to relieve
0:13:35 > 0:13:37'the pressure on Champa's brain.'
0:13:39 > 0:13:41You've brought enough gear with you.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- Well, we are doing brain surgery. - That is true.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51'Romain is going to try to implant a tube into Champa's brain,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54'which will drain out the excess fluid as it builds up.'
0:13:56 > 0:13:59So, it's a matter of placing the tube into the brain,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03then running it into the abdomen, so you can allow that fluid to run.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05To drain, yes. There's a little valve that,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08when the pressure gets above a normal pressure,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10then the fluid flows through that, so we've got
0:14:10 > 0:14:14to bury this little tube underneath the skin so she can't chew it out
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and then put it in the abdomen where this extra fluid can be absorbed.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26'It's a risky operation that was originally devised for people.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29'It's the first time anyone's attempted it on a bear.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Come on.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36'But Mike is hoping that, from tomorrow,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39'Champa could have a pain-free life.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:46What's here, what's here? Come on, it's good stuff.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'Some animals are so well-adapted for the environment they live in,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57'there's no way vets can borrow human medical techniques
0:14:57 > 0:14:59'to look after them.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04'Elephants' tusks are elongated front teeth...
0:15:08 > 0:15:10'..used for fighting...
0:15:12 > 0:15:15'..digging and moving trees.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24'Treating them takes expertise and highly specialised equipment.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:33This is a domestic saw.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36You have to realise that you don't go and buy
0:15:36 > 0:15:38equipment for elephant dentistry,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42there is just nothing available, so we have to cope with
0:15:42 > 0:15:48what we've got, and all of the other instruments here were purpose made.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52My friend is a mechanical engineer and this is their handiwork.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57'Big-animal dentist Gerhard Steenkamp and vet Adrian Tordiff
0:15:57 > 0:16:00'have been flown in from South Africa to try
0:16:00 > 0:16:03'and remove the tusk of a five-tonne elephant.'
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I'm going to need most of that.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16'Ninio is a 13-year-old African elephant
0:16:16 > 0:16:19'who lives at Poznan Zoo in Poland.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24'He's cracked his left tusk, and it's become badly infected.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'The team here has tried to treat Ninio...
0:16:32 > 0:16:34'..but the infection won't go away,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38'and they're worried it could be spreading into his head.'
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Ninio is experiencing pain and major infection in the tusk
0:16:43 > 0:16:48and he has this big hole in the tusk and it is really
0:16:48 > 0:16:51unpleasant for him, so we must help him and we will do this.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56'The vets think the only way to get the infection under control
0:16:56 > 0:16:59'is to completely remove Ninio's tusk.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06'Before they can operate, Adrian has to anaesthetise him.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:08This stuff is incredibly potent,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11so one drop will probably pretty much knock down
0:17:11 > 0:17:13everyone in this room, you know, and stop them breathing.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16Ready to go.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'Adrian doesn't want Ninio to get stressed at the sight
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'of the gun, as that would cause him to release adrenaline
0:17:25 > 0:17:28'and make it harder for him to go to sleep.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54'If Ninio lies down in the wrong position or for too long,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'he could crush his internal organs under his own weight,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00'so they're up against the clock.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05'Once Ninio is settled,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'Gerhard quickly removes the outer part of the infected tusk.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Endoscope.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'Now, using a specially-designed endoscope,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23'he's able to see what's causing Ninio so much trouble.'
0:18:24 > 0:18:29So, that is the pulp, still a little bit alive, so inflamed and infected.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39'To clear the infection, Gerhard needs to remove the entire
0:18:39 > 0:18:40'root of the tusk...
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'..which goes half a metre into Ninio's skull.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48'He discovers the infection is so severe,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52'it's made the tusk grow in a completely abnormal way.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The ivory has closed off, there's a wall right here
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and I cannot get beyond it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Give him another two milligrams, OK?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'Ninio's already been asleep for longer than they'd hoped.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'They can't afford to give him any more anaesthetic.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18'All Gerhard manages to do is break a small hole
0:19:18 > 0:19:22'into the wall of ivory, which he hopes will relieve some pressure
0:19:22 > 0:19:23'from the infection.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:26So it's not coming out today?
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Not today.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31So I think we need to wake him up.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40It is the first tooth in my life that I cannot get out,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42so that is really disappointing.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The operation will allow the infection to drain,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50and so Ninio should start feeling better.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I'm just relieved that he's standing and looking OK.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03But Gerhard and his team will have to find a way to get that tusk out.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08If the infection takes hold again, Ninio might not survive.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23The hardest part of helping an animal can be making a diagnosis.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28You guys want to jump up there and pull her in?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33In Chicago, vets need to find out what's wrong with Tiara.
0:20:35 > 0:20:41She's an Amur tiger, one of just 500 left in the world.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Tiara's had a nose bleed and the team here at Brookfield Zoo
0:20:49 > 0:20:52are worried that it's a sign of something more serious.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01One of the bigger concerns is that we potentially could have a tumour
0:21:01 > 0:21:05or a mass or something else in there that's causing the bleeding.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08So the main thing we're all going to be very careful about
0:21:08 > 0:21:10is not getting our hands in her mouth at all.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15It's been impossible for head vet Mike Adkesson to do a check-up with Tiara awake.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16There, under her chin.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19She's a little on the thin side which is not a bad thing.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22We like to see our animals a little bit on the lean side
0:21:22 > 0:21:26so that we don't run into issues with them becoming overweight.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31He's going to examine her with a CT scanner,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33just like you'd find in a hospital.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Got it. Do you want it back? - OK. Let's go forward.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43This machine's been adapted for animals,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46although not all of them are as big as Tiara.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54If I could try and wedge her mouth a little bit, to get her jaws open.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The scanner will create a 3D image of inside Tiara's head.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Slide that forward.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04So it's basically a giant X-ray machine
0:22:04 > 0:22:07that takes sort of cross-sectional images,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11so if you think of a loaf of bread being sliced into a bunch of slices,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14that's basically the set of images we get out.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Are we set with the anaesthesia?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24We're scanning basically from the tip of her nose
0:22:24 > 0:22:27all the way to the back of the skull, er, which is going to
0:22:27 > 0:22:30give us a look inside the nasal passages, the sinuses.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34We're looking for any irregularity or asymmetry between the two sides.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39With virtually none of the risks of surgery,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42this is the safest way to examine Tiara.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53As she begins to come round, timing is everything.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It's too dangerous to be in the same room as her awake,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06but they must wait for signs that she's breathing properly on her own.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09As she starts coming up, the first thing she'll start doing
0:23:09 > 0:23:11is sort of biting this airway tube a little bit
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and then in the process of coughing it out,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15we'll know she's getting ready to wake up.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It will take Mike and the team the rest of the day to examine
0:23:34 > 0:23:39the results of the scan and find out what's behind Tiara's nose bleed.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00At the Moon Bear Sanctuary in Laos,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Champa is about to have ground-breaking surgery
0:24:03 > 0:24:08to try and relieve the pressure on her brain, caused by hydrocephalus.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Come on.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Mike, who rescued Champa as a tiny cub,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22is hoping it's going to be a whole new start for her.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I don't think I slept at all last night.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28I went to bed early, hoping to be rested this morning,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32but, yeah, I just, er, kept thinking all night, what, you know,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34what does the day hold for us today?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Vet Jonathan Cracknell needs to anaesthetise Champa.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48That's great. Very wobbly.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55But before they even get her to surgery,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Jonathan realises something is not right.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Can you get me the ambu bag and the tubes...
0:25:01 > 0:25:03cos you're not breathing.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- She's stopped breathing?- Yeah.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Jonathan has just moments to clear her airway.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You in? Her colour's gone very bad.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33She's breathing now.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- Yeah.- Yeah, there you go.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39That was a bit tense.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42That was a bit tense. She went down quicker than we expected.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Only once they're happy Champa's breathing properly
0:25:53 > 0:25:56can the team take her to the sanctuary's on-site clinic.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02It's a bit of a steep climb,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05but thankfully she's stayed nice and stable.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Romain is going to try and implant a tube
0:26:15 > 0:26:19that will run from Champa's brain down to her abdomen.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24It will drain away excess fluid as it builds up in her brain.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31I'm cutting.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Romain has to drill a tiny hole into Champa's skull.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Let's try and see which...
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It's got to be really millimetre by millimetre
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and just very, very gently make their way through the skull.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50This is the really critical bit because one slip,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54one tiny probe too far, and we could do some real damage.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00If the drill even touches Champa's brain, she could die on the table.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07This bit I'm not going to watch. They're the experts.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I'm going to leave... I really don't want to see the next bit.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Romain is about to implant one end of the tube
0:27:13 > 0:27:17into a cavity in her brain where the fluid builds up.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Yeah, definitely in.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24He feeds the other end of the tube down towards her abdomen.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33He's going to insert an endoscopic camera to find it
0:27:33 > 0:27:35and bring it down into position.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41To see his way round with the camera,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Romain needs to inflate Champa's abdomen.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Would you switch on the insufflation?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53But something's not right.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- I think it's shortening out. - I think it is, yeah.- I think it's just the power supply.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There's not enough electricity to power the vital equipment.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02The other thing you can do
0:28:02 > 0:28:05is see if you can plug it directly into something, Nick.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13If they can't get the machine working,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Romain has no chance of finding the end of the tube.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Oh...just keep...any luck?
0:28:23 > 0:28:25No, it's still not, um...
0:28:28 > 0:28:30He's going to have to improvise.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35Get the mattress pump, remember that one.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38What we'll do is, er, use this - which is a mattress inflator pump.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40It's like for air beds, basically.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42It's not ideal but needs must
0:28:42 > 0:28:44and, er, when you're in the middle of nowhere,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46sometimes you just have to adapt.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49OK, can you just all keep quiet for a second?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- Are you happy on the generator? - Yeah.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56- You're happy. - She's got enough oxygen and she's breathing on 100% 02.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58If you put on the light for the room, please.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Do you want to put the mattress pump on for a short burst?- Yeah.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Cuff her up again.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12His plan works.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16There comes the tube, see, there's our stent coming out there.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21With her abdomen inflated, Romain can see what he's doing.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24That's the other end of the tube
0:29:24 > 0:29:27so that's where the fluid will now drain to.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31It will disappear in between the liver and the diaphragm
0:29:31 > 0:29:32and just be absorbed there.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39It's quite a long way to go, from the brain to the belly.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41He guides the tube into position.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47And a last quick look and reposition.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51It will stay inside Champa for the rest of her life.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54We'll do the external bits quickly.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Almost done. Almost done. Almost done.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Against all the odds, the surgery's complete.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11One of the things that we like to do is let them
0:30:11 > 0:30:13come round at their own pace, so we're not going to push her.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15She's had a six-hour anaesthetic
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and we just want her to come around at her own steady rate.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Hello. All right, darling?
0:30:33 > 0:30:35OK, you're pretty good, aren't you?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46The next morning, Champa's back on her feet.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55But it will be a few weeks before Mike and the team know
0:30:55 > 0:30:59if the operation's been a success and Champa's no longer in pain.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Good girl.
0:31:03 > 0:31:04Good girl.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06Good girl.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22It's been five months since Ninio had his last dental operation.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28Vets Adrian Tordiff and Gerhard Steenkamp have come back to Poland
0:31:28 > 0:31:33to try and remove the infected tusk that last time defeated them.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Hello, boy. There we go.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Ninio's tusk was so deformed that Gerhard has spent the last few months
0:31:40 > 0:31:43developing special tools to try and get it out.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48These are the cutters that I've had made.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52They made me a very nice chisel.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- Oh, yes.- In Poland. - To try and split the bone apart.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00With Ninio asleep under a general anaesthetic,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Gerhard gets a chance to have a look at the tusk.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07There's still a lot of pus coming out of it,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09but it's clean in terms of no parasites,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12no maggots or anything like that.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17There's little bits of movement on some of these tusk pieces
0:32:17 > 0:32:20which could be positive.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Gerhard hopes that if he starts by hollowing out the centre
0:32:25 > 0:32:29of the tusk, he'll then be able to remove the outer pieces more easily.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52But the ivory is too tough, even for the new tools.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Gerhard decides his only option is to try
0:32:54 > 0:32:57and pull the tusk out with a winch.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Yes!
0:33:21 > 0:33:25Relieved. Absolutely relieved!
0:33:26 > 0:33:28It's feeling nice and smooth in there,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31no bone fragments, which is great.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33There's no more ivory left
0:33:33 > 0:33:38and things are looking really good.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Now Gerhard can clean away the mass of infection
0:33:46 > 0:33:47that was trapped behind the tusk.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55And after three hours, the operation's over.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12The next day, the vets check in on Ninio.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Actually quite remarkable, and now that his trunk is up,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I can look into his empty alveolus and there's just about nothing...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25- Coming out.- ..coming out of it.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Nice and clean.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29He's eating quite well and moving around well.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38The infection has gone,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41which means Ninio will soon be out of pain
0:34:41 > 0:34:44and can rejoin the other elephants.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00In Chicago, Mike has been going through the images
0:35:00 > 0:35:03produced by the scan of Tiara's head...
0:35:06 > 0:35:10..to see if her nose bleed was the sign of anything more serious.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14We're seeing the front teeth come into view,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16canine teeth coming into view here.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Now we're getting into some of the nasal passageways.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22If we were to see a mass or anything in this area,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26we'd lose a lot of this and we'd just have a solid structure
0:35:26 > 0:35:29with none of these little fine folds of tissue in there.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32It's good news for Tiara.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35I think we're really good shape here.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38There's really nothing that we're seeing out of the ordinary.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Though the blood we were seeing from the nose was probably
0:35:42 > 0:35:46just a, you know, an incidental finding, so to say that, you know,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48she had some sort of traumatic event or bumped her nose or just
0:35:48 > 0:35:52had a nose bleed for kind of an unknown reason even, but it doesn't
0:35:52 > 0:35:56seem to be anything concerning as a long-term problem here.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00With the population of Amur tigers critically low,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02it's a relief for everyone.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Tiara's been given the all-clear,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11without having to undergo invasive surgery.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23For big-animal vets, every patient comes with unique challenges.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Galapagos tortoises move so slowly
0:36:30 > 0:36:34that their main protection against predators is their shell.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38It's the perfect suit of armour,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41but it makes them incredibly difficult to treat.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45Hello, girls.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Ha-ha! Losing my nerve.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55They must have quite sharp teeth, cos they go crunching through those.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59It really is quite a powerful bite for a vegetarian.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07As part of a programme to save this endangered species,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11London Zoo is currently home to five Galapagos tortoises.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18And there's one tortoise missing from that group
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and she's called Priscilla and the reason
0:37:20 > 0:37:23she's not with them is she's been very sick, so they've taken her
0:37:23 > 0:37:26to the zoo hospital so that the staff can keep a close eye on her.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Priscilla is being looked after by veterinary nurse Matt Rendell.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35So this is Priscilla.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Good girl.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41She's so unwell, she's been unable to eat for several weeks.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46How did you first know that she was... Oh, darling!
0:37:47 > 0:37:49How did you first know that she wasn't well?
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Well, normally, tortoises graze all the time
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and it was something that she stopped doing
0:37:54 > 0:37:55and it was obvious from her weight loss
0:37:55 > 0:37:58and the fact she was really kind of down in the dumps
0:37:58 > 0:38:00that she really wasn't well at all.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03The only thing keeping her alive is a feeding tube
0:38:03 > 0:38:05inserted into her neck.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10They're worried that not eating is a sign that Priscilla's liver
0:38:10 > 0:38:11isn't working properly.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17But the problem is getting to it beneath her protective shell
0:38:17 > 0:38:19to find out what's wrong.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25They've called in keyhole surgery specialist
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Romain Pizzi to see if he can help.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32This tortoise has been ill but it's difficult to piece everything together
0:38:32 > 0:38:36and know what's going on so the easiest way is to look at the organs, so...
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The tortoise is in a big box - that makes getting inside very difficult.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49Romain hopes that with an endoscopic camera and extra-long instruments,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52he might be able to reach Priscilla's liver to take a sample.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55Lift, lift, lift, perfect.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58The easiest window and the safest place is in front of the back leg,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01so there's a little gap there where there's some soft tissue there
0:39:01 > 0:39:05that we can make a little cut and we can actually stick the telescope in.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08In a person, or most animals, we'd actually puff them up
0:39:08 > 0:39:12with carbon dioxide and that makes like a tent so you can see
0:39:12 > 0:39:16what's going on, but the tortoise has got a rigid tent, so it's
0:39:16 > 0:39:19quite difficult to navigate our way around and see what we need to see.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Romain hasn't tried this on a tortoise Priscilla's size before.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Just be very careful. You're not going to be able to do that.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34But his plan to get the biopsy of her liver falls through
0:39:34 > 0:39:37before he can even begin.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42An ultrasound reveals her bladder is completely full,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45blocking his path.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49My main risk is sticking the endoscope in,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53going into the body and actually puncturing the bladder.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55That's what we really don't want to do.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Romain decides that the only way to get to the liver
0:39:58 > 0:40:02without damaging her bladder is to tip her onto her side.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07I'm hoping what we'll do is, once you tilt it, we may connect,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11things will fall down and so you'll have a safe space to go in.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Get us two more chairs and tie them together.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20But getting Priscilla into position isn't easy.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Right, so... so the chairs - turn her lateral
0:40:26 > 0:40:28and that is, in essence, a cradle.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30One, two, three.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34I'll get the legs.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38If they crack or damage her shell, it will take years to heal.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40OK, watch that leg.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43That's the best we can do.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46So the team have been pretty inventive and creative.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48They've put two chairs together to create a cradle,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52so Priscilla can now be sideways and it means that Romain can
0:40:52 > 0:40:56get in through that soft bit at the top of the leg.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00She's been anaesthetised for an hour and ten minutes now, guys.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Romain makes two incisions - one for the endoscopic camera
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and one for the instrument that he'll take the sample with.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16He has to make his way carefully towards her liver.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20That bladder is absolutely huge.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26What is interesting is the length of instruments you are using.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It is what they call bariatric instruments, which is what
0:41:29 > 0:41:31they use in very fat people so they are extra length
0:41:31 > 0:41:34and that whole length of the instrument is disappearing
0:41:34 > 0:41:38inside the tortoise and it's still not...still not getting far enough.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Priscilla's shell means there's very little room for him to manoeuvre.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51If you look, it's like fighting with chopsticks inside this tortoise.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Finally, he makes it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00This is the liver - this whole structure here is liver.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03We're only just seeing the edge.
0:42:06 > 0:42:07The liver is not pretty.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12I would say - to me, that doesn't look normal for most reptiles.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16Priscilla's liver is a much lighter colour than it should be,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18confirming their suspicions.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Quite a reasonable piece there. We'll take a couple from that tip.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25He snips a tiny sample,
0:42:25 > 0:42:30which will now be sent to the zoo's laboratory to be analysed.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36You don't want that in any more, do you?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39An hour later, Priscilla's awake.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Everyone's delighted and relieved that Priscilla's come through the procedure so well.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51She's come round from the anaesthetic but we've got to wait for the results
0:42:51 > 0:42:55from the biopsy tests and then see what happens next.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10A week later, the results of the biopsy reveal that Priscilla
0:43:10 > 0:43:15has a chronic liver condition called fatty liver.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18It's triggered by not eating and means the liver starts
0:43:18 > 0:43:22processing fat abnormally, which can be fatal.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Good girl.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28In Priscilla, they caught it just in time
0:43:28 > 0:43:31and through an intensive feeding programme,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Matt and the team have managed to reverse the damage.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39And now Priscilla's back eating on her own.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43She's interacting with us much more. She's just pleased to see us now
0:43:43 > 0:43:45and comes over and enjoys a fuss
0:43:45 > 0:43:48and physically she's much, much stronger now.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51She can stand up now. We're really pleased with her progress.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53It's been a very rewarding nursing case.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Priscilla's protective shell
0:43:58 > 0:44:01made her a more challenging patient than many,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03but a few weeks later,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06she's well enough to be returned to her enclosure.
0:44:29 > 0:44:3221st-century medicine is coming to the rescue of animals
0:44:32 > 0:44:36right around the globe - even prehistoric ones.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44I'm in the Everglades National Park in Florida.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Alligators and crocodiles have been living in swamps like these
0:45:05 > 0:45:10for millions of years and they've changed very little since then.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14It's obviously a body shape that works really well.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25Although they sit here motionless most of the time,
0:45:25 > 0:45:27when they get close enough to grab something,
0:45:27 > 0:45:29they can move at amazing speeds.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37These opportunistic predators have a fearsome reputation
0:45:37 > 0:45:40for most people here in Florida.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45But not Bob Freer.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51He's been rescuing gators in need of help for over 20 years.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57I actually got my first alligator back in 1956.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01My father actually went into a gas station, came out and just threw
0:46:01 > 0:46:05a little alligator hatchling in the back seat with me.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Er, and when I went to grab it, it actually grabbed me by the finger
0:46:08 > 0:46:11and that kind of started the love relationship
0:46:11 > 0:46:12that I have with alligators.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Bob's most recent arrival is Martha, who he found suffering
0:46:21 > 0:46:24from what looks like a chronic blockage in her guts.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29She really isn't right. She's sitting really strangely.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31That's the first thing we noticed,
0:46:31 > 0:46:33and this little tilting back and forth, you know,
0:46:33 > 0:46:35like she's bobbing. She just doesn't have control.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Yeah. So she can't sink at all at the moment, then?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41No. She tries to go under to get away,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44she just bobs right back to the top again.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52- To see an animal suffer, you know, it's a little heart-breaking.- Hmm.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01You can really see the difference between a normal gator
0:47:01 > 0:47:05and Martha here - you know, with the sleek aqua-dynamic shape,
0:47:05 > 0:47:09this really good swimming position, and then poor Martha
0:47:09 > 0:47:14looking like some kiddie's inflatable toy. It's dreadful.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22They don't know what's causing Martha's blockage.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29But it's so severe, her gut could rupture at any moment.
0:47:32 > 0:47:33They need to get her to a vet.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45The amazing thing about gators is that although they have
0:47:45 > 0:47:49one of the strongest bite pressures in the animal kingdom,
0:47:49 > 0:47:54actually the muscles to open the jaw you can hold with just two fingers.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57That's why the insulation tape that's going on now
0:47:57 > 0:48:00is just enough to keep that jaw from opening up.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Martha is going to be examined by Doug Mader.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12- Meow!- Hello!
0:48:12 > 0:48:15As well as being a small-animal vet,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18he's a world renowned reptile specialist.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Hey, Bob, what have you got here?
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Er, well, we've named her Martha,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27and basically you can tell from its stomach there
0:48:27 > 0:48:29she's not feeling very good.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31She's not feeling good. She's really bloated.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34All right, kiddo, you're in the right place.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37So what we're going to do is try and give her a look-over.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39She is packed.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Most likely she's probably swallowed something she's not supposed to.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45Can you actually feel anything in there?
0:48:45 > 0:48:47- You can. Want to feel it? - Yeah, I'll have a quick feel.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51- She feels like she's got a brick in there.- Oh, my God, that is solid.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56- So we'll take her in and let the nurses get the X-rays.- OK.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02The X-rays reveal just how unwell Martha is.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05- Her head is up here.- Yeah. - OK. This is her lungs.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07This is her stomach here
0:49:07 > 0:49:10and these large masses are not supposed to be there.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13- She can't go on, can she? - No.- This is enormous.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15- No, and you can see, the pelvis is here.- Yeah.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18And even the smaller masses, they'd never fit through the pelvis.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21They're not coming out the normal route, no.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Martha's only hope is surgery to remove these blockages.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31We're using a 21st-century technology to save an animal
0:49:31 > 0:49:33that's been around since the dinosaurs.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- Are we ready?- That's it. - OK, here we go.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49At last Doug can find out what's causing Martha's blocked gut.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- She may jump, she's not awake. - She's not feeling it?
0:49:57 > 0:49:59That's normal twitch of the abdominal muscles.
0:50:04 > 0:50:09He sees immediately that things are much worse than he was expecting.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12What I need to do is figure out what I'm looking at.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- So you're just trying to tease in between those areas.- Yeah.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19- Obviously you can't even see what to cut, so you're just...- Not yet.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22There's been so much trauma inside the abdomen,
0:50:22 > 0:50:27so much inflammation that's caused the actual guts themselves
0:50:27 > 0:50:30to start to stick and scar together
0:50:30 > 0:50:31and scar to the abdominal wall
0:50:31 > 0:50:35and everything is just a big, sticky, horrible mess.
0:50:36 > 0:50:41Doug manages to separate out one of the huge lumps he saw on the X-ray.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Oh, yuck.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48We wouldn't see this degree of change
0:50:48 > 0:50:50in a patient of mine.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52There's no way that, you know,
0:50:52 > 0:50:57a dog or cat could tolerate this degree of abdominal mess.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It would be dead long before it could get to this stage.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Doug can clear out Martha's intestines
0:51:04 > 0:51:08but he discovers they've become completely sealed off.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Bob, come over on my left shoulder so you can see, this is your animal.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Hmm.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Look, the whole pelvis is scarred over.
0:51:17 > 0:51:23There's no connection between the colon, where the faeces were,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25- and the outside.- Yeah.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27- Bob...- Yeah.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30I hate to say this, but I think we made a try.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35No amount of surgery can help Martha.
0:51:37 > 0:51:42We'll put her to sleep. We'll euthanise her before she wakes up.
0:51:42 > 0:51:43Not the way we want it to end,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45but it's part of our job as veterinarians.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58- Sorry, Bob.- Yeah.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01I know you care about your animals.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06I wouldn't have been able not to try.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09We had to give it a try.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13And I was hoping for better results than this.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24Martha was just too unwell for Doug and Bob to save her.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31But their efforts have at least put an end to her suffering.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38BIRDS CALL
0:52:43 > 0:52:45In Laos, it's been six months
0:52:45 > 0:52:48since Champa the moon bear had keyhole brain surgery.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53I'm just putting in a few branches for Champa.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56She likes anything new that comes into her enclosure, to check it out.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59She particularly likes the banana tree
0:52:59 > 0:53:02or anything with leafy branches, cos they're quite destructive.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04She loves to just sit there and break it up.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Champa! Champa! Come on, girl.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13The tube which runs from Champa's brain down to her abdomen
0:53:13 > 0:53:18means excess fluid is no longer building up in her brain.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Having this operation has, you know, transformed her whole life.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25She's gone from a bear which was virtually 24 hours a day
0:53:25 > 0:53:27in terrible pain...
0:53:27 > 0:53:30She had no quality of life, she...
0:53:30 > 0:53:33she could hardly eat, she was in so much pain.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37But since then, she's a different bear.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39She'd never do this before.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41She'd never even have her head up.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44While Champa will never be able to live with the other bears,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Mike's seen a huge change in her behaviour.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Yeah, what is that?
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Oh, you cheeky bear, you cheeky bear.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54This is how bears play with each other.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57They like to mouth each other and swipe each other.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58You, you're a bad girl!
0:53:58 > 0:54:00What are you doing?
0:54:00 > 0:54:02HE MAKES CLUCKING SOUND
0:54:02 > 0:54:05He hopes Champa will go on to lead a full life,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09free from the pain that tormented her for so long.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12You're a funny bear.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14You're a funny bear, aren't you?
0:54:14 > 0:54:15You're a good bear, though.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17You! You!
0:54:23 > 0:54:27CLARE: In this series we've seen how life for many animals is changing
0:54:27 > 0:54:30and how they face great challenges to their survival.
0:54:35 > 0:54:40But advanced diagnostics, innovative surgery
0:54:40 > 0:54:43and the dedication of vets around the world,
0:54:43 > 0:54:47mean we can now look after them in ways we never could before.