Groundbreaking surgery never before performed on a bear took place at Animals Asia’s China sanctuary this month and should result in lame moon bear Claudia being able to walk again.

When rescued moon bear Claudia suddenly became lame, vets were at a loss as to the root of the problem, until a CT scan revealed a rare condition never before reported in any species of bear.

The high tech scan showed Claudia was suffering from incomplete ossification of the humeral condyles (IOHC), a condition which prevents bones from maturing.

The result was fracturing of Claudia’s weight bearing elbows causing her to become immobile.

Thankfully, leading orthopedic surgeon Dr Alane Cahalane was optimistic that surgical stabilisation of the fracture was a possibility and travelled to Chengdu to attempt the ground-breaking surgery on March 3.

After a grueling day in theatre, Dr Alane successfully stabilised the fracture by placing three screws in Claudia's elbow. The screws will not only strengthen the bone, but will also combat the rotational forces of the joint that could later weaken the implant. 

Animals Asia’s resident veterinarian Emily Drayton said:

“It is difficult to comprehend exactly what this surgery means. As a world first in bears, this surgery represents a milestone in veterinary wildlife medicine. But more than this, Claudia's surgery truly highlights the value we all place upon her life.

“As Animals Asia fights to abolish an industry that destroys thousands of lives, the importance of one life cannot be underestimated. If there is one thing we can all take from this surgery, it is the importance of each bear, the value of their life and the significance of their individual story.”

Having stabilised the elbow of Claudia’s left forepaw, Dr Alane’s team will return again in a few weeks to repair the damage already suffered in the right forepaw.

In the meantime, Claudia will be rested and managed conservatively.

Emily Drayton added:

“For now Claudia is comfortable. Incredibly, just one day after her groundbreaking surgery she was already placing weight on her left elbow and showing no signs of pain. It may be several weeks before we can begin the next phase of surgery so we’ll be doing our best to make sure that Claudia remains comfortable and stimulated during that time.”

Animals Asia founder and CEO, Jill Robinson MBE said:

“It goes without saying that we were incredibly fortunate and grateful to have such an accomplished advocate for veterinary medicine at CBRC. Armed with the best in veterinary orthopedic equipment, years of specialist experience, and her seasoned vet nurse, Ka Po Fu, Dr Alane was well prepared to attempt a surgery that, to our knowledge, had never been performed on a bear before.

“Thanks to Dr Alane’s expertise, Claudia can look forward to a future roaming our sanctuary enclosures with her friends. She will be able to forage and explore, play, rest and bask in all the best things life at the sanctuary has to offer.”

Dr Alane Cahalane has worked at the USA’s renowned veterinary facility Cornell University, and has done much to advance veterinary medicine in Asia.

The extensively published doctor has performed thousands of successful surgeries in small animals, with expertise in orthopedic, neurologic, cancer and soft tissue surgeries.

BELOW: This picture was taken in 2013 before Claudia became lame. It is hoped that the operation will allow her to once again roam and forage pain free in her enclosure.

Animals Asia would like to thank Kate Baumgartner at LotusBlu Photography for kindly donating pictures of Claudia's surgery to this article.

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