Victoria, a 28-year-old female polar bear at Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland, is receiving geriatric care for arthritis. Keepers noticed Victoria struggling to keep up with her son and exhibiting signs of joint pain. Medication and physical therapy have helped improve her mobility and quality of life.
A 'lovely' polar bear at a Scottish wildlife park has begun receiving geriatric care. On Wednesday, Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie announced that its 28-year-old female polar bear Victoria has been administered medication for arthritis. According to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland , keepers noticed that the animal was struggling to keep up with her young son Brodie and had stopped demonstrating physical behaviours such as climbing on her back legs.
The vet team at Highland Wildlife Park were asked to check on Victoria's health. They discovered that the polar bear had pain in her joints, likely associated with arthritis. Keepers began carrying out positive reinforcement training with Victoria, which involved teaching her to put her foot in a specially designed 'sleeve'. Following a few weeks of physical therapy, staff took a blood sample that came back 'very good'. Highland Wildlife Park has now started administering Victoria with medication to help with the discomfort in her joints, which has given her 'a new lease of life'. In addition, she will receive regular health assessments. According to the RZSS, the aim of geriatric care is to allow animals to continue engaging in their natural behaviours and remain mentally stimulated. The charity states that enrichment activities, social interaction, and positive reinforcement training can help elderly animals remain active and alert. Polar bears in the wild live on average 15-18 years, though their life in the Arctic is fraught with many dangers. Some bears that have been tagged by biologists have been in their early 30s, though that is rare. The environment in Scotland Highland Wildlife Park shared the news about Victoria on its Facebook account on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of fans and visitors have since left comments voicing their support for Victoria. One posted: 'Aww, glad she is receiving care. It's not easy getting old Victoria lots of aches and pains but you are still looking good
POLAR BEAR ARTHRITIS GERIATRIC CARE HIGHLAND WILDLIFE PARK SCOTLAND
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Geriatric Care for 'Lovely' Polar Bear at Scottish Wildlife ParkVictoria, a 28-year-old female polar bear at Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland, is receiving geriatric care for arthritis. Keepers noticed she was struggling to keep up with her son and had stopped climbing, leading to a vet check. Treatment includes medication and positive reinforcement training. The park aims to help Victoria remain active and engaged in her natural behaviors.
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