Charity completes dental surgery on rescued bear

Misha's procedure lasted five hours

Misha the bear is on the mend in Armenia following dental surgery from an East Sussex-based charity.

International Animal Rescue (IAR), based in Uckfield, said the brown bear was rescued in 2023 after he was believed to have escaped from captivity or been abandoned.

IAR trustee and dentist Paul Cassar carried out seven extractions and three root canal treatments on Misha during Sunday's five-hour treatment.

He said Misha was "up and about and eating" and appeared well on Monday.

Misha had seven extractions and three root canal treatments

Before the surgery, which was carried out by a team of four, Misha had a number of broken or decaying teeth and his gums were infected and swollen.

Mr Cassar added: "It'll take him a few weeks to get over the surgery, but they heal incredibly quickly."

The IAR said Misha "had clearly spent years gnawing on the bars of a cage" and was in "desperate need of dental surgery".

"This is not the first time we’ve carried out dental surgery on a bear in Armenia, and sadly it won’t be the last," IAR president Alan Knight said.

The charity said the public's response to Misha's surgery was "overwhelming" following an appeal to help cover the cost.