This is the moment a veterinary dentist had to get up close and personal with a fully grown brown bear in an attempt to clean his teeth.
Marc Losse treated 20 year old brown bear Siggi at the Four Paws animal welfare project Baerenwald in Muritz, Germany.
Siggi had to be placed under general anaesthetic while a team of expert vets and dentists worked to ensure that his teeth were treated.
Ferocious: Dentist Marc Losse treated the teeth of 20-year-old brown bear Siggi at the Four Paws saunctuary in Muritz
Restrained: The 20-year-old bear had his teeth cleaned following his rescue by the sanctuary
The bear was rescued with his son Balou, 10, in September of last year, and has been cared for by the sanctuary ever since.
The bears were taken from wildlife park Hellenthal, which is reportedly known for poor keeping standards for bears, where they had the limited space of just 150square metres to roam.
In contrast, Baerenwald, which means bear forest, is now the biggest bear park in Western Europe with 16 hectares of space for their bears.
The woodland features a creek and several ponds, which the bears enjoy bathing and playing in.
Rescued: Siggi was rescued with his 10 year old son Balou from a different wildlife centre
Treatment: Four Paws say that bears in Germany need better care than is being provided for them by zoos and the government
The transfer was organised by the Four Paws team, including Dr Goritz, a vet from the Berlin Institute of Zoo and Wildlife research.
The two fully grown male bears struggled at their previous home, often becoming involved in violent conflicts.
Siggi, despite being the elder of the two, is far smaller, and suffered at the hands of his more aggressive son.
At the Four Paws sanctuary, which opened in 2006, both bears will have room to retreat and mark their individual territory without encroaching on the other.
Dentist: The team worked while the bear was under general anaesthetic to ensure that Siggi's teeth were well cared for
Four Paws say that there are still 20 bears living in inadequate conditions in Germany and blame what they believe is the country’s efficient legal regulation of keeping standards for bears.
They are now lobbying for improved conditions and are offering assistance to zoos that attempt to change the way they care for their bears.
Four Paws is an international welfare charity campaigning for a ‘world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding’.
They care for animals including bears, lions, stray dogs and cats.
They are funded through donations and supporters alone.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2315784/A-real-bear-sore-head-Veterinary-dentist-treats-Siggi-general-anaesthetic-German-rescue-centre.html#ixzz2Rm6vSDcL
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