Firefighters help move Yorkshire polar bear for health MOT

The check-up for Victor, the country’s oldest polar bear, was carried out with military precision with 11 firefighters using a cargo net to lift the 530kg, 18-year-old animal so vets and other specialists could run a series of tests at the Doncaster attraction.

Staff at the park spent nearly a month planning the operation, which involved a 30-strong team, after noticing that the bear’s teeth looked abnormal.

As well as the dental examination, vets decided to use the two-hour period when Victor was anaesthetised to check his general wellbeing.

Animals collection manager Simon Marsh said:

“We could see that one of Victor’s canine teeth looked a slightly different colour to the rest of his teeth so we wanted to investigate and it was an opportunity to give him a full MOT. A team of vets performed a series of checks on Victor.

“He has made a full recovery from the experience and initial findings are that he is very well for an 18-year-old. We are waiting on the test results from the samples we took from him but we are all

happy that Victor is a happy and healthy polar bear.”

A Keighley specialist veterinary practice, IZVG, was involved in the operation, which also included an animal dentist. This was the first occasion a polar bear had been anaesthetised at the park.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were consulted on how best to move Victor from his enclosure to the treatment area using specialist lifting equipment.

“Timing was critical as we only had a small window to get Victor moved and in position to allow the vets to get him connected to the anaesthetic machine,” added Simon.

Staff had been conducting ‘dry runs’ of the injection process to familiarise Victor with the technique.

“For Victor to be relaxed and trusting enough for us to inject him took months of animal training. Veterinary procedures are out of the ordinary for animals and by keeping Victor calm, it made it safer for him whilst under the anaesthetic” said carnivore team leader Kim Wilkins.

Park rangers and the fire service placed Victor onto a cargo net and lifted him into place. Vets then examined his 42 teeth, joints, feet and claws before conducting X-rays and taking blood samples and swabs for further analysis.

Victor was back on his feet within half an hour and returned to his fellow polar bears Pixel, Nissan and Nobby.

Fire station manager Dave Scully said:

“This was certainly an unprecedented request for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Whilst we wouldn’t routinely use our services in this way, we recognised Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s need for support during this complex operation due to the size of the animal. It meant Victor was able to receive the necessary medical treatment whilst allowing our crews the opportunity to test their skills using specialist animal rescue equipment. A happy ending for all involved!”