Boki

This is a long recovery journey, and Boki thanks all his supporters. We are so grateful to you all, and pleased you can be part of this incredibly story.

28 November 2024

We're thrilled to see our beloved Boki has entered torpor for the very first time! This a huge success story and a significant milestone in his journey with us.

Boki's natural hibernation patterns have emerged just as they should during the colder winter months, allowing him to rest and conserve energy, just like wild Brown Bears do. This achievement is a testament to the care, dedication, and rewilding principles we hold dear at Wildwood.

Sweet dreams, Boki!

7 Nov 2024

His energy levels are incredible. He is back to being his old self; playful, loving and naughty. He has gained condition since the op and now weighs 140kg. He has gone from taking 15 tablets twice a day to 2 tablets a day, with no adverse affects.

He gets lots and lots of enrichment throughout the day and loves it. Enrichment, like the toys he has been gifted, ice lollies that we create with hidden nuts and berries, or a simple cardboard box covered with honey and herbs, keeps him busy, his mind active and provides sensory enrichment. 

14 Oct 2024

Boki climbs for the first time since his op. He keeps the keepers on their toes, and clearly loves all the extra treats.

We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and messages. Boki receives get well cards and messages every day and every single one is appreciated. Visitors pop around to see him and he does his best to show off how mischievous he still is.

11 Oct 2024

He is up and moving around today. We are in awe of him and how strong and resilient he is. He leaves his bed and ventures out into the sunshine. His appetite is back! He spends most of the day eating grass. He enjoys taking Calpol and the keepers still use jam for his tablets.

9 Oct 2024

The operating theatre is prepared, and all hands are on deck for what turns out to be a marathon session. Boki, our brave and incredibly strong bear, endures a 6-hour procedure. He has a shaved head and everyone can see how big his ears are now!

We ask our community and supporters to help us financially because the surgery and after-care is going to cost £20,000.

29 Sep 2024

After many consultations and ethical reviews with medical experts, to give Boki a better chance at a healthier and enriched life, it is decided that he will have surgery to drain the fluid from his brain.

Specialist wildlife surgeon Romain Pizzi, the only person to have performed brain surgery on a bear before, agrees to do the surgery and things are quickly put in place, because Boki will not survive the upcoming winter without it.

27 Sep 2024

The medication is no longer working as well as it did in the beginning. The vet advises us to give him the maximum dose but a few weeks later our suspicions are confirmed and we can see he is starting to display similar symptoms of seizures and pain.

20 Sep 2024

Boki quickly works out that peanut butter disguises medicine and manages to spit out his pills. The keepers work out that jam does the trick and Boki gets to sample every possible flavour on jam on this planet. The medication makes a big difference and Boki is almost back to his old self. As a precaution we have cleared his pool in his enclosure, but as he gets stonger, we allow him to swim with Fluff and Scruff in their pool. He receives many visitors during the day, and we think he suspects how popular and loved he is.

13 Sep 2024

With the help from supervet Noel Fitzpatrick at Fitzpatrick Referrals, Boki is sedated and driven to Maidstone to have an MRI. He makes extraordinary veterinary history in the UK as the first European Brown Bear to have this procedure. We are so grateful for the expertise of the Fitzpatrick team, who are able to gain valuable insight into Boki’s health. We discover that Boki is suffering from hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). Our vets seem confident that we should be able to manage his condition with medication, but we will monitor his progress daily.

Apr 2024

Unfortunately, as is often the case with rescued bears, Boki's journey hasn’t stopped, even though he loves his new home. We notice that he appears to be having seizures and is not quite himself. He is especially out of sorts after vigorous play and seems to be holding his head in pain. He also has some localised paralysis down his left side from time to time.

May 2023

Boki is introduced to our two male adult bears, Fluff and Scruff. His curiosity and zest for life is infectious and he forms a strong bond with Scruff, who is keen to play along. The keepers spend as much time as they can with Boki, feeding him peanuts and coming up with ingenious ways to amuse him. He loves to swim, and plays to his heart’s content with all his various toys and enrichment bits.

Dec 2022

Boki arrives at Wildwood Kent and immediately becomes the centre of attention. He loves his enclosure, and explores every inch of it whilst being the cutest and naughtiest bear in the park. The more attention he gets, the happier he is.

Feb 2022

Boki the bear is born at Port Lympne and at 10 weeks old is sadly rejected by his family. He is hand-reared by the keepers until he is 10 months old while his enclosure is being prepared at Wildwood.