Operation Wild (2010–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Pythons, Gators & Grizzlies, Oh My! - full transcript
Officer Bean comes face to-face with an animal he has only seen in the movies, a 900-pound Grizzly Bear!
NARRATOR: SOMETIMES EVEN
THE BIGGEST, THE STRONGEST,
AND MOST WELL-PROTECTED ANIMALS
ON THE PLANET NEED OUR HELP,
AND AROUND THE WORLD, DEDICATED
VETS ARE COMING TO THEIR RESCUE.
[TRUMPETS]
ITS OBVIOUSLY
QUITE PAINFUL.
IT'S MY OPINION
THAT THE BULLET'S
STILL INSIDE THERE.
NARRATOR: IN THIS SERIES,
ANIMAL MEDICS OVERCOME
UNIQUE CHALLENGES
TO SAVE THE LIVES OF SOME OF
THE RAREST ANIMALS ON EARTH...
MAN: WE POTENTIALLY
COULD HAVE A TUMOR
OR A MASS OR
SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE
THAT'S CAUSING
THE BLEEDING.
NARRATOR: AND MEDICAL
INNOVATIONS TRANSFORM
THE WAY WE CARE FOR ANIMALS.
MAN: WE'RE USING 21st-CENTURY
TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE AN ANIMAL
THAT'S BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
NARRATOR: THIS WEEK,
EXTREME ELEPHANT DENTISTRY,
KEYHOLE SURGERY
ON A GIANT TORTOISE,
AND WILL A REMARKABLE INVENTION
HELP FUJI THE DOLPHIN
SWIM AGAIN?
THIS IS LAOS,
A LANDLOCKED COUNTRY
BETWEEN THAILAND AND VIETNAM,
AND HERE VETS
ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT
GROUNDBREAKING BRAIN SURGERY.
LAOS IS HOME TO
AN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF BEAR
THAT'S ONLY FOUND HERE IN ASIA--
THE ASIATIC BLACK BEAR,
OR MOON BEAR,
NAMED AFTER THE CRESCENT-SHAPED
STRIPE ACROSS THEIR CHESTS.
THE TAT KUANG SI BEAR
RESCUE CENTRE...
MAN: DEE DEE.
HERE YOU GO, DEE DEE.
NARRATOR: IS RUN
BY A BRITISH TRANSPLANT--
MIKE BROCKLEHURST.
MIKE AND HIS TEAM CURRENTLY
LOOK AFTER 24 BEARS
RESCUED FROM TRAFFICKERS
WHO WOULD EXTRACT THEIR BILE
TO USE IN SOME TRADITIONAL
EASTERN MEDICINE.
4 YEARS AGO, MIKE TOOK IN
A 3-MONTH-OLD CUB CALLED CHAMPA
WHO'D BEEN FOUND
IN A NEARBY VILLAGE.
BROCKLEHURST: WELL, SHE WASN'T
IN GREAT CONDITION.
SHE WAS VERY MALNOURISHED.
SHE ONLY WEIGHED 1.7 KILOS.
SHE WAS ALL BELLY AND LEGS,
OBVIOUSLY SUFFERING
WITH MALNUTRITION.
SHE HAD A BIG, DOMED HEAD
WITH A POINTY NOSE.
HER EYES WERE BULGING OUT.
ALL THE TEETH WERE GOING BROWN.
I DIDN'T THINK SHE'D SURVIVE.
SO I USED TO TAKE HER HOME
EVERY DAY,
BRING HER WITH ME
TO THE SANCTUARY,
FEED HER THROUGHOUT
THE DAY AND NIGHT.
ONCE SHE, UH, STABILIZED,
SHE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE FEISTY.
SHE'D ACTUALLY STAND UP
ON HER HIND LEGS--
ALL, YOU KNOW,
12 INCHES OF HER--
AND ACTUALLY SWIPE AT ME.
COME ON, CHAMPS.
COME ON,
CHAMPS.
NARRATOR: BUT DESPITE
HIS LOVE AND CARE,
AS CHAMPA GOT OLDER,
MIKE BEGAN TO SUSPECT
THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG.
BROCKLEHURST: I STARTED
REALIZING THAT SHE WASN'T
DEVELOPING AS WELL
AS THE OTHER BEARS,
AND SHE WAS, PERHAPS,
LOSING HER SIGHT.
SHE WEIGHS PROBABLY
ABOUT 20% LESS
THAN THE OTHER BEARS OF HER AGE,
AND SOME DAYS,
SHE'LL JUST WANT TO STAY
IN THE HAMMOCK ALL DAY,
SHE WON'T COME OUTSIDE.
SHE DOESN'T DO A LOT.
NARRATOR: THE SANCTUARY'S
MEDICAL TEAM THINK CHAMPA
WAS BORN WITH HYDROCEPHALUS,
COMMONLY KNOWN AS WATER
ON THE BRAIN.
THE BRAIN IN BOTH
HUMANS AND ANIMALS
IS SURROUNDED
BY CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
WHICH IS CONSTANTLY REPLENISHED.
HYDROCEPHALUS RESULTS WHEN
TOO MUCH OF THE FLUID BUILDS UP.
FOR CHAMPA, IT MEANS HER BRAIN
HASN'T DEVELOPED PROPERLY.
SHE HAS POOR VISION,
AND THE PRESSURE IN HER HEAD
CAUSES EXCRUCIATING HEADACHES.
BROCKLEHURST:
IT'S BEEN A STEADY DECLINE.
UH, SHE'S JUST BECOMING,
YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT
MORE WITHDRAWN.
UH, SHE'S OBVIOUSLY
IN A LOT OF PAIN.
NARRATOR: THE STRONG BUDDHIST
TRADITION HERE IN LAOS
AND COMPLEX LAWS SURROUNDING
ENDANGERED ANIMALS
MEAN EUTHANIZING CHAMPA
ISN'T AN OPTION.
SO MIKE IS DETERMINED THAT,
EVEN IF SHE WON'T EVER HAVE
THE SAME KIND OF LIFE
AS THE OTHER BEARS,
SHE SHOULD AT LEAST
LIVE WITHOUT PAIN.
GOOD GIRL, HEY?
JON, DO YOU WANT TO
GIVE ME A HAND WITH THIS?
NARRATOR: MIKE CONTACTED
VET ROMAIN PIZZI,
WHO VOLUNTEERED
TO TRY AND HELP...
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S JUST GRAB THAT.
NARRATOR: AND A FUNDRAISING
APPEAL HAS ALLOWED THE CENTER
TO FLY HIM,
ANESTHETIST JONATHAN,
AND ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT
OUT HERE TO LAOS.
'CAUSE YOU BOUGHT
ENOUGH GEAR WITH YOU.
WELL, WE ARE DOING,
UH, BRAIN SURGERY.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN IS A PIONEER
OF KEYHOLE SURGERY FOR ANIMALS,
AND HE THINKS
HE'LL BE ABLE TO RELIEVE
THE PRESSURE ON CHAMPA'S BRAIN.
ROMAIN IS GOING TO TRY TO
IMPLANT A TUBE INTO HER BRAIN
THAT WILL DRAIN OUT THE EXCESS
FLUID WHENEVER IT BUILDS UP.
THIS DELICATE OPERATION WAS
ORIGINALLY DEVISED FOR HUMANS.
DOCTORS HAVE BEEN USING THIS
TECHNIQUE ON CHILDREN AND ADULTS
WITH HYDROCEPHALUS
FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS,
BUT IT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYONE'S
ATTEMPTED IT ON A BEAR.
PIZZI: I KNOW
THERE ARE REAL RISKS.
THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS
THAT CAN GO WRONG,
BUT THE THING IS,
IF I DO NOTHING,
IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR A YEAR,
SHE'LL BE DEAD
AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE
A SLOW PERIOD
THAT'S REALLY
GONNA BE AGONIZING,
AND I'D HATE FOR THAT
TO BE THE CASE.
COME ON.
NARRATOR: BUT MIKE IS HOPING
THAT TOMORROW'S OPERATION
WILL RADICALLY IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF CHAMPA'S LIFE.
IT'S HERE.
IT'S HERE.
COME ON.
IT'S GOOD STUFF.
NARRATOR: SOMETIMES
THE HARDEST PART
OF A VET'S JOB CAN BE
MAKING A DIAGNOSIS.
ALL RIGHT, AND YOU GUYS
WANT TO JUMP UP THERE
AND PULL HER IN?
NARRATOR: IN CHICAGO,
THIS TEAM NEED TO FIND OUT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH TIARA.
SHE'S AN EXTREMELY RARE
AMUR TIGER,
ONE OF JUST 500 LEFT
IN THE WORLD.
TIARA'S HAD A NOSEBLEED.
IT'S AN UNUSUAL SYMPTOM
IN A BIG CAT,
AND THE VETS HERE
AT BROOKFIELD ZOO ARE WORRIED
IT'S A SIGN OF SOMETHING
MORE SERIOUS,
ESPECIALLY SINCE, AT 17,
TIARA'S REACHING
THE UPPER AGE LIMIT
FOR CAPTIVE TIGERS.
AND WE'LL TAKE
A LOOK AT HER.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GO FOR IN THERE.
MAN: ONE OF THE BIGGER CONCERNS,
THAT WE POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW,
COULD HAVE A TUMOR OR A MASS
OR SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE
THAT'S CAUSING THE BLEEDING.
ONE THING WE'RE ALL GOING
TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT
IS NOT GETTING OUR HANDS
IN HER MOUTH AT ALL.
NARRATOR:
TIARA WEIGHS IN AT 250 POUNDS
AND HAS 6-CENTIMETER-LONG
INCISORS.
MAN: GONNA GO
UNDER HER CHIN.
LIPS ARE
A LITTLE HIGH.
NARRATOR: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
FOR HEAD VET MIKE ADKINSON
TO EXAMINE TIARA LIKE THIS
WHEN SHE'S AWAKE.
ADKINSON: SHE'S A LITTLE
ON THE THIN SIDE,
WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING.
WE LIKE TO SEE OUR ANIMALS
A LITTLE BIT ON THE--
THE LEAN SIDE SO THAT WE DON'T
RUN INTO ISSUES
WITH THEM BECOMING OVERWEIGHT.
3.
NARRATOR: TO FIND OUT
WHAT'S BEHIND TIARA'S NOSEBLEED,
MIKE IS GOING TO EXAMINE HER
WITH A CT SCANNER
JUST LIKE YOU'D FIND
IN ONE OF OUR HOSPITALS.
DO YOU WANT IT BACK?
OK. LET'S GO
FORWARD WITH IT.
NARRATOR: THIS MACHINE'S
BEEN ADAPTED FOR ANIMALS,
ALTHOUGH NOT ALL OF THEM
ARE AS BIG AS TIARA.
ADKINSON: OK. UM...
LIKE TO TRY
AND WEDGE HER MOUTH
A LITTLE BIT TO GET
HER JAWS OPEN.
I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE HAVE ANY--
OK. LET'S GET HER.
NARRATOR: THE SCANNER USES
X- RAYS TO BUILD A 3D IMAGE
OF THE INSIDE OF TIARA'S HEAD.
SO IT'S, UH, BASICALLY
A GIANT X-RAY MACHINE
THAT TAKES SORT OF
CROSS-SECTIONAL IMAGES.
SO IF YOU THINK
OF A LOAF OF BREAD
THAT'S BEING SLICED
INTO A BUNCH OF SLICES,
THAT'S BASICALLY THE SET
OF IMAGES WE GET OUT.
ARE WE SET WITH,
UH, ANESTHESIA?
WE'LL TURN THIS ON
AND THEN TURN THAT THING ON,
AND IT'LL--
ALL RIGHT.
ADKINSON: WE'RE SCANNING,
BASICALLY, FROM THE TIP
OF HER NOSE ALL THE WAY
TO THE BACK OF THE SKULL,
UH, WHICH IS GONNA GIVE US
A LOOK INSIDE
OF THE NASAL PASSAGES,
THE SINUSES.
WE'RE LOOKING
FOR ANY IRREGULARITY
OR ASYMMETRY
BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
NARRATOR: THE ONLY OTHER WAY
TO EXAMINE HER IN THIS DETAIL
WOULD BE INVASIVE SURGERY, AND
THAT WOULD BE FAR MORE RISKY.
MAN: ALL RIGHT. WE WANT
TO MAKE A COUPLE SHOTS,
AND THEN WE'LL ROLL HER
ONTO THE GURNEY.
PLAYING
WITH THE SMALL..
NARRATOR: AS TIARA BEGINS
TO COME OUT OF THE ANESTHESIA,
IT'S CRUCIAL THEY GET
THEIR TIMING RIGHT.
IT'S TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE TEAM
TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM
AS AN ADULT TIGER
WHEN IT'S AWAKE,
BUT THEY HAVE TO WAIT
FOR THE SIGNS
THAT SHE'S BREATHING
PROPERLY ON HER OWN.
ADKINSON: AS SHE STARTS
COMING UP, THE FIRST THING
SHE'LL START DOING HERE IS SORT
OF FIGHTING THIS AIRWAY TUBE
A LITTLE BIT, AND IN THE PROCESS
OF COUGHING THAT OUT,
WE'LL KNOW THAT SHE'S
GETTING READY TO WAKE UP.
[GROWLING]
WE'RE GOOD.
OK.
NARRATOR: IT WILL TAKE MIKE
THE REST OF THE DAY TO EXAMINE
THE RESULTS OF THE SCAN
TO DISCOVER
WHAT'S BEHIND TIARA'S NOSEBLEED.
HE'LL FIND OUT IF HE NEEDS
TO OPERATE,
BUT FOR SOME ANIMAL MEDICS
THAT'S NOT AN OPTION.
THEY HAVE TO FIND
MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
TO TREAT THEIR PATIENTS.
DR. KEIICHI UEDA
ISN'T JUST A VET,
BUT AN INVENTOR BASED
AT CHURAUMI AQUARIUM
ON THE JAPANESE ISLAND
OF OKINAWA.
TODAY HE'S GOING TO TRY OUT
AN EXTRAORDINARY INVENTION
THAT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE
IN THE MAKING.
IT COULD TRANSFORM
THE LIFE OF FUJI,
A DOLPHIN WITH NO TAIL.
FUJI LOST HER TAIL
TO A BACTERIAL INFECTION
THAT NEARLY KILLED HER.
SHE'S MISSING
THE END OF HER TAIL
WHERE IT SHOULD SPLIT
INTO TWO FLUKES.
THESE PROPEL DOLPHINS
THROUGH THE WATER...
AND HELP THEM LEAP INTO THE AIR.
THEY EVEN USE THEIR FLUKES
TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
LOSING HER FLUKES
RADICALLY CHANGED FUJI'S LIFE.
THE MOTHER OF 3
STOPPED SOCIALIZING
WITH THE OTHER DOLPHINS,
AS SHE WASN'T ABLE
TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
NARRATOR: SINCE FUJI'S ILLNESS,
KEIICHI HAS BEEN TRYING
TO FIND A WAY TO HELP HER.
HE'S BEEN DEVELOPING
PROSTHETIC TAILS FOR HER
WITH THE HELP OF A FRIEND
AT A JAPANESE TIRE MAKER.
NARRATOR: IT TOOK KEIICHI
8 MORE ATTEMPTS TO ARRIVE
AT THIS PRECISION-ENGINEERED
VERSION MADE
FROM SILICONE RUBBER
AND REINFORCED CARBON FIBER.
AND...
NARRATOR: KEIICHI WILL ONLY KNOW
IF IT'S AS GOOD AS A REAL TAIL
IF FUJI IS ABLE TO PROPEL
HERSELF OUT OF THE WATER.
I HOPE.
NARRATOR: TODAY WILL BE
THE FIRST TIME
HE'LL BE FITTING
HIS NEW PROSTHETIC ONTO FUJI.
SHE TRUSTS THE TEAM HERE
AND IS USED TO THEM
FITTING THE TAILS ON HER.
KEIICHI'S HOPING
THIS WILL BE THE ONE
THAT TRANSFORMS HER LIFE.
THE INSIDE OF THIS PROSTHETIC
HAS BEEN CAST
IN THE EXACT SHAPE
OF FUJI'S TAIL STUMP.
IT'S HELD ON
BY THIS CARBON FIBER BRACE.
IT LOOKS SIMPLE, BUT
THE PROSTHETIC HAS TO PERFORM
IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY
AS REAL FLUKES WOULD.
IT SEEMS TO FIT PERFECTLY,
BUT FUJI ISN'T SWIMMING
ANY BETTER THAN BEFORE.
UEDA: SHE IS NERVOUS.
NARRATOR: KEIICHI CAN ONLY HOPE
THAT FUJI JUST NEEDS SOME TIME
TO GET USED
TO THE NEW PROSTHETIC
AND REMEMBER
WHAT SHE'S CAPABLE OF
WITH A FULLY FUNCTIONING TAIL.
GRADUALLY,
FUJI GAINS CONFIDENCE.
UEDA: SHE WARMING UP. HA HA HA!
HA HA HA!
NARRATOR: SHE SEEMS HAPPY
WITH THE NEW MODEL
AND IS SWIMMING WELL...
HA HA HA!
NARRATOR: BUT THE ULTIMATE TEST
IS IF SHE CAN LEAP
INTO THE AIR...
KEIICHI: SHE MAKE A JUMP.
NARRATOR: AS THIS WILL MEAN
SHE CAN PLAY
WITH THE OTHER DOLPHINS AGAIN.
HA HA!
LOOK AT THAT.
VERY EXCELLENT.
NARRATOR: AT HER FIRST ATTEMPT,
SHE MANAGES A 3-METER JUMP,
PROPELLING HER WHOLE BODY
OUT OF THE WATER.
[CLICKING]
KEIICHI: ONE MORE.
NARRATOR: KEIICHI'S
DETERMINATION HAS PAID OFF.
GOOD JOB.
SHE MADE A BEAUTIFUL JUMP.
I'M VERY HAPPY.
I HOPE HER NEW TAIL WILL
GIVE HER NEW LIFE,
I HOPE. HA!
[CLICKING]
NARRATOR: HER NEW TAIL
HAS GIVEN FUJI BACK
HER STRENGTH AND SPEED,
AND IT MEANS SHE CAN LEAP
AND PLAY WITH
THE OTHER DOLPHINS AGAIN.
WE'VE SEEN HOW SOMETIMES VETS
CAN TURN TO HUMAN MEDICINE
TO HELP THEM TREAT
THEIR PATIENTS,
BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE,
AND SPECIALIZED SOLUTIONS
ARE NECESSARY.
ELEPHANTS' TUSKS
ARE TWO ELONGATED INCISOR TEETH
USED FOR FIGHTING...
DIGGING...
AND MOVING TREES.
THEY GROW THROUGHOUT
AN ELEPHANT'S LIFE.
TREATING THEM TAKES EXPERTISE
AND VERY PARTICULAR GEAR.
[DOG BARKS]
MAN: THIS IS A DOMESTIC SAW.
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT
YOU DON'T GO AND BUY EQUIPMENT
FOR ELEPHANT DENTISTRY, DO YOU?
THERE IS JUST NOTHING AVAILABLE.
SO WE HAVE TO COPE
WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT
AND ALL OF THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS
HERE WAS BUILT, AS WELL.
ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS
IS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER,
AND THIS IS THEIR HANDIWORK.
NARRATOR: WITH THIS CUSTOM SET
OF INSTRUMENTS,
BIG-ANIMAL DENTIST
GERHARD STEENKAMP
AND VET ADRIAN TORDIFFE
HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO TRY
AND REMOVE THE TUSK
OF A 5-TON ELEPHANT.
TORDIFFE: NEED ANY OF
THE OTHER EQUIPMENT HERE?
STEENKAMP: I'M GONNA
NEED MOST OF THAT.
NARRATOR: NINIO IS A 13-YEAR-OLD
AFRICAN ELEPHANT
WHO LIVES AT POZNAN ZOO
IN POLAND.
JUST AS ELEPHANTS CAN
IN THE WILD,
NINIO CRACKED HIS LEFT TUSK,
WHICH EXPOSED THE PULP
TO BACTERIA
AND CAUSED AN INFECTION.
THE TEAM HERE HAS TRIED TO TREAT
NINIO WITH ANTIBIOTICS
AND EVEN DRILLED OUT
SOME OF THE TUSK...
BUT THE INFECTION WON'T GO AWAY,
AND THEY'RE WORRIED
IT COULD SPREAD INTO HIS SKULL
AND END UP KILLING HIM.
WOMAN: NINIO IS EXPERIENCING
PAIN AND MAJOR INFECTION
IN THE TUSK, AND HE HAS
THIS BIG HOLE IN THE TUSK,
AND IT IS REALLY
UNPLEASANT TO HIM.
SO WE MUST HELP HIM,
AND WE WILL DO THIS.
NARRATOR: THE SOUTH AFRICAN VETS
THINK THE ONLY WAY
TO GET THE INFECTION
UNDER CONTROL
IS TO COMPLETELY REMOVE
NINIO'S TUSK.
FIRST, ADRIAN HAS
TO ANAESTHETIZE NINIO
WITH A DART GUN LOADED
WITH DRUGS
MANY TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN WOULD BE USED ON US.
TORDIFFE:
YEAH. ONE--
ONE MILLILITER,
OR TWO MILLILITER.
THIS STUFF IS INCREDIBLY POTENT.
THIS ONE DROP WOULD PROBABLY
PRETTY MUCH KNOCK DOWN
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, YOU KNOW,
AND STOP THEM BREATHING.
READY TO GO.
NARRATOR: ADRIAN DOESN'T WANT
NINIO TO BECOME STRESSED
AT THE SIGHT OF THE GUN,
AS IT WILL MAKE HIM
RELEASE ADRENALINE, MAKING IT
HARDER FOR HIM TO GO TO SLEEP.
[POP]
[NINIO BELLOWS]
[BELLOWS]
NARRATOR: IF NINIO LIES DOWN
IN THE WRONG POSITION
OR FOR TOO LONG,
HE COULD CRUSH HIS INTERNAL
ORGANS UNDER HIS OWN WEIGHT.
SO THEY'RE WORKING
AGAINST THE CLOCK.
GERHARD QUICKLY REMOVES THE
OUTER PART OF THE INFECTED TUSK.
ELEPHANT DENTISTRY
IS NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED.
OK. ENDOSCOPE,
THE SLEEVE.
NARRATOR: NOW USING HIS
SPECIALLY DESIGNED ENDOSCOPE,
HE'S ABLE TO SEE THAT
THE INFECTION IS ROTTING AWAY
THE LIVING TISSUE
INSIDE NINIO'S TUSK.
STEENKAMP: YEAH.
SO THAT IS THE DEAD PULP.
STILL A LITTLE BIT ALIVE,
BUT SO INFLAMED AND INFECTED.
NARRATOR:
TO CLEAR THE INFECTION,
GERHARD NEEDS TO REMOVE
THE ENTIRE ROOT OF THE TUSK...
WHICH GOES HALF A METER
INTO NINIO'S SKULL...
BUT AN HOUR INTO THE OPERATION,
HE'S MADE LITTLE PROGRESS...
I NEED A HEAVIER HAMMER.
THIS IS NO-GOOD.
OK. WE'LL TRY TO FIND
A BIGGER ONE.
NARRATOR: AND HE DISCOVERS WHY
THIS TUSK IS HARDER TO REMOVE
THAN MOST OTHERS HE'S WORKED ON.
HOW ARE WE LOOKING?
OK.
NARRATOR: THE INFECTION'S
SO SEVERE,
IT'S MADE THE TUSK GROW
IN A COMPLETELY ABNORMAL WAY.
THE IVORY
IS CLOSED OFF.
THERE'S A WALL
RIGHT HERE,
AND I CANNOT GET
BEYOND IT.
NARRATOR: TO MAKE THINGS WORSE,
GERHARD IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
WE'LL GIVE HIM ANOTHER
TWO MILLIGRAMS, OK?
NARRATOR: NINIO'S
ALREADY BEEN ASLEEP
FOR LONGER THAN THEY HAD HOPED.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE HIM
ANY MORE ANESTHETIC.
ALL GERHARD MANAGES TO DO
IS BREAK A SMALL HOLE
INTO THE WALL OF IVORY,
WHICH HE HOPES WILL RELIEVE
SOME PRESSURE
FROM THE INFECTION,
BUT HE CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.
SO IT'S NOT
COMING OUT TODAY?
UH, NOT TODAY.
SO I THINK WE NEED
TO WAKE HIM UP.
STEENKAMP: IT IS THE FIRST
TOOTH IN MY LIFE
THAT I CANNOT GET OUT.
SO THAT IS REALLY DISAPPOINTING.
I SUPPOSE THERE HAS TO BE ONE,
AND IT HAD TO BE THIS ONE,
BUT, I MEAN, IT'S
A MONSTER TUSK, AND THERE'S--
BUT THAT IS HOW WE LEARN.
THAT'S HOW WE PERSEVERE.
NARRATOR: NINIO RECOVERS WELL
FROM THE ANESTHETIC.
AND THE OPERATION WILL ALLOW
THE INFECTION TO DRAIN.
SO HE SHOULD START
TO FEEL BETTER...
I'M JUST RELIEVED THAT HE'S
STANDING AND LOOKING OK.
BUT GERHARD AND ADRIAN
WILL HAVE TO FIND A WAY
TO GET THAT TUSK OUT,
OR THE INFECTION
WILL TAKE HOLD AGAIN,
AND NINIO MIGHT NOT SURVIVE.
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
BACK AT THE MOON BEAR
SANCTUARY IN LAOS,
IT'S THE MORNING
OF CHAMPA'S OPERATION.
SHE'S ABOUT TO HAVE
GROUNDBREAKING SURGERY
TO TRY AND RELIEVE
THE PRESSURE ON HER BRAIN
CAUSED BY HYDROCEPHALUS.
CHAMPA.
NARRATOR: MIKE, WHO RESCUED
CHAMPA AS A TINY CUB,
IS HOPING IT'S GOING TO BE
A WHOLE NEW START FOR HER.
BROCKLEHURST: I DON'T THINK
I SLEPT AT ALL LAST NIGHT.
I WENT TO BED EARLY HOPING TO,
UH, BE, UH, FRESH THIS MORNING,
BUT, YEAH, I-- I JUST, UH, KEPT
THINKING ALL NIGHT, "WHAT'S--
YOU KNOW, "WHAT DOES THE DAY
HOLD FOR US TODAY?"
HOLD ON.
LOOKS LIKE...
NARRATOR: VET JONATHAN CRACKNELL
NEEDS TO GIVE CHAMPA
AN ANESTHETIC...
GOOD. SHE'S DONE.
IT'S ALL DONE.
IT'S GREAT.
OH. OH, YEAH.
VERY WOBBLY.
NARRATOR: BUT BEFORE
THEY EVEN GET HER TO SURGERY,
HE REALIZES CHAMPA'S
NOT REACTING WELL
TO THE DRUGS HE'S GIVEN HER.
CAN YOU GET ME THE AMBU
BAG AND THE TUBES?
BECAUSE YOU'RE
NOT BREATHING.
NARRATOR: THIS IS ONE
OF THE RISKS OF OPERATING
IN THE JUNGLE, WHERE THE PATIENT
CAN'T BE RIGGED UP
TO OXYGEN BEFORE RECEIVING
ANESTHESIA.
SHE STOPPED BREATHING?
YEP.
NARRATOR: JONATHAN
HAS JUST MOMENTS TO TRY
AND CLEAR HER AIRWAY.
OTHERWISE, CHAMPA'S CHANCE
FOR A NEW LIFE
WILL BE OVER
BEFORE IT'S EVEN BEGUN.
HE HAS TO INSERT A TUBE
DIRECTLY INTO HER WINDPIPE.
SHE'S BREATHING NOW?
YEP.
YEAH. THERE YOU GO.
THAT WAS A BIT TENSE.
THAT WAS
A BIT TENSE.
SHE WENT DOWN QUICKER
THAN WE EXPECTED.
NARRATOR: IT'S A RELIEF
FOR EVERYONE
THAT CHAMPA'S BREATHING PROPERLY
AND THEY CAN TAKE HER TO
THE SANCTUARY'S ONSITE CLINIC.
UP ON THERE.
NARRATOR: THE PLAN IS FOR
KEYHOLE SURGERY SPECIALIST
ROMAIN TO IMPLANT A TUBE
THAT WILL RUN
FROM CHAMPA'S BRAIN
DOWN TO HER ABDOMEN.
IT'LL DRAIN AWAY EXCESS FLUID
AS IT BUILDS UP IN HER BRAIN.
HE'LL BE THE FIRST TO TRY TO DO
THIS PROCEDURE ON A BEAR.
I'M CUTTING.
NARRATOR: CHAMPA'S SKIN
IS 3 TIMES THICKER THAN OURS.
IF YOU'RE A BEAR,
YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE
PAPER-THIN SKIN BECAUSE
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE
A CLASH
WITH OTHER BEARS,
BUT IT'S NOT AT ALL
LIKE HUMAN SKIN.
NARRATOR: NOW HE'S
THROUGH CHAMPA'S SKIN,
ROMAIN HAS TO DRILL A TINY HOLE
INTO HER SKULL.
[WHIRRING]
HE HAS TO PROCEED MILLIMETER
BY MILLIMETER WITH IMMENSE CARE.
IF THE DRILL EVEN TOUCHES
CHAMPA'S BRAIN,
SHE COULD DIE ON THE TABLE.
HIS JOB'S MADE
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT
BY THE UNUSUAL SHAPE
OF CHAMPA'S SKULL.
PROCESS GOES
AS NORMAL.
WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE
I DON'T PUNCH THROUGH
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY
BRAIN UNDERNEATH THERE.
IT MAY BE A THINNER SKULL
BECAUSE OF HER HYDROCEPHALUS.
NARRATOR: FOR MIKE,
THE TENSION'S TOO MUCH.
BROCKLEHURST: THIS BIT
I'M NOT GONNA WATCH.
THEY'RE THE EXPERTS.
I'M GONNA LEAVE IT.
I DEARLY DON'T WANT
TO SEE THE NEXT BIT.
NARRATOR:
ROMAIN IS THROUGH.
JUST TO MAKE SURE--
I'M GONNA GO IN NOW.
NARRATOR: NOW HE HAS TO IMPLANT
ONE END OF THE TUBE
INTO A CAVITY IN HER BRAIN
WHERE THE FLUID BUILDS UP.
LET'S GO FOR IT.
OH, THERE'S A LOT OF--
THERE'S LOTS OF FLUID
COMING OUT AROUND THE HOLE,
AND THAT FLUID IS COMING
FROM INSIDE THE BRAIN.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN FEEDS
THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE
DOWN TOWARDS HER ABDOMEN.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: HE'S GOING TO INSERT
AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA
TO FIND IT AND BRING IT DOWN
INTO POSITION.
TO SEE HIS WAY ROUND
WITH THE CAMERA,
ROMAIN NEEDS TO ELECTRONICALLY
INFLATE CHAMPA'S ABDOMEN,
WHICH WILL CREATE MORE SPACE
AROUND HER ORGANS...
THE RIGHT WAY ROUND.
DO SWITCH ON
THE INFLATION.
NARRATOR:
BUT SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.
I THINK THIS
IS SHORTING OUT.
I THINK IT IS.
YEAH, YEAH.
NARRATOR: OUT HERE
IN THE JUNGLE,
THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ELECTRICITY
TO POWER THE VITAL EQUIPMENT.
PIZZI: CAN YOU GET
THE GENERATOR READY?
THE OTHER THING
YOU CAN DO IS SEE
IF YOU CAN PLUG IT DIRECTLY
INTO SOMETHING THERE.
NARRATOR: IF THEY CAN'T
GET THE MACHINE WORKING,
ROMAIN HAS LITTLE CHANCE OF
FINDING THE END OF THE TUBE,
AND EVERY MINUTE THAT CHAMPA'S
UNDER ANESTHETIC
INCREASES THE RISK FACTOR
OF THIS SURGERY.
PIZZI: NO.
IT'S STILL NOT ON.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: THEY'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO IMPROVISE.
PIZZI: GET THE MATTRESS PUMP--
REMEMBER THAT ONE--
AND JUST GET SOME--
STARTED, STEVE.
YEAH, BUT
IT'S FINE NOW.
NARRATOR: THE TEAM'S
ONLY OPTION IS TO TRY
AND INFLATE CHAMPA
WITH AN AIR BED PUMP.
OK. CAN YOU JUST ALL
KEEP QUIET FOR A SECOND?
ARE YOU HAPPY
ON THE GENERATOR?
YEAH.
YOU'RE HAPPY?
SHE'S GOT
ENOUGH OXYGEN
AND SHE'S BREATHING
REALLY WELL ON 100% O2.
YOU CAN PUT ON
THE LIGHT
FOR THE ROOM,
PLEASE.
I'M SORRY. DO YOU WANT
TO PUT THE MATTRESS PUMP
ON FOR A SHORT BURST,
AND YOU NEED
TO KIND OF PUMP AGAIN.
PUFF HER UP AGAIN.
YEAH.
[PUMP WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: INFLATING CHAMPA'S
ABDOMEN WORKS.
PIZZI: THERE COMES
THE TUBES, SEE?
THERE'S OUR STENT
COMING OUT THERE.
NARRATOR:
THERE'S SPACE FOR ROMAIN
TO MOVE THE CAMERA AROUND.
ROMAIN GUIDES THE END
OF THE TUBE INTO POSITION
BETWEEN THE LIVER AND DIAPHRAGM,
WHERE THE FLUID
WILL SAFELY DRAIN OFF
AND BE ABSORBED.
I'LL HAVE A LAST QUICK
LOOK AND REPOSITION.
NARRATOR: THE TUBE
WILL STAY INSIDE CHAMPA
FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.
PIZZI: WE'LL DO THE
EXTERNAL BITS QUICKLY.
I'M ALMOST DONE,
ALMOST DONE, ALMOST DONE.
NARRATOR: AGAINST ALL THE ODDS,
THE OPERATION IS OVER.
CRACKNELL: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE LIKE TO DO
IS JUST LET THEM COME ROUND
AT THEIR OWN PACE.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA PUSH HER.
SHE'S HAD A 6-HOUR ANESTHETIC.
WE JUST WANT HER TO COME AROUND
AT HER OWN STEADY RATE.
[BEEP BEEP BEEP]
HELLO.
ALL RIGHT, DARLING.
OK. YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD,
AREN'T YOU?
NARRATOR: THE NEXT MORNING,
CHAMPA IS BACK ON HER FEET...
BUT IT WILL BE A FEW WEEKS
BEFORE MIKE AND THE TEAM
KNOW IF THE OPERATION'S
BEEN A SUCCESS
AND CHAMPA'S LOOKING
AT A PAIN-FREE LIFE.
GOOD GIRL.
GOOD GIRL, EH?
[DISTANT SIREN]
NARRATOR: IN CHICAGO,
MIKE ADKINSON HAS BEEN
GOING THROUGH THE IMAGES
PRODUCED BY THE SCAN
OF TIARA'S HEAD
TO SEE IF THIS TIGER'S
UNUSUAL NOSEBLEED
WAS THE SIGN OF ANYTHING
MORE SERIOUS.
WE'RE SEEING THE FRONT TEETH
COME INTO VIEW,
CANINE TEETH COMING
INTO VIEW HERE.
NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO SOME
OF THE NASAL PASSAGEWAYS.
IF WERE TO SEE A MASS
OR ANYTHING IN THIS AREA,
WE'D LOSE A LOT OF THIS,
AND WE WOULD JUST HAVE
A VERY SOLID STRUCTURE
WITH NONE OF THESE LITTLE,
FINE FOLDS OF TISSUE IN THERE.
NARRATOR:
IT'S GOOD NEWS FOR TIARA.
ADKINSON: I THINK WE'RE--
WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE HERE.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING
THAT WE'RE SEEING
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
SO THE BLOOD WE WERE SEEING FROM
THE NOSE WAS PROBABLY JUST A--
YOU KNOW, A INCIDENTAL FINDING,
SO TO SAY, THAT, YOU KNOW,
SHE HAD SOME SORT OF TRAUMATIC
EVENT OR BUMPED HER NOSE
OR JUST HAD A NOSEBLEED FOR KIND
OF AN UNKNOWN REASON, EVEN,
BUT THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
ANYTHING CONCERNING
AS A LONG-TERM PROBLEM HERE.
NARRATOR: WITH THE POPULATION
OF AMUR TIGERS CRITICALLY LOW,
IT'S A RELIEF FOR EVERYONE
THAT ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS
DEVELOPED FOR HUMANS
HAS HELPED TIARA AVOID
A RISKY AND INVASIVE
SURGICAL PROCEDURE.
[BELLOWS]
NARRATOR: IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS
SINCE NINIO HAD
HIS LAST DENTAL OPERATION.
SOUTH AFRICAN VETS
ADRIAN TORDIFFE
AND GERHARD STEENKAMP
HAVE COME BACK TO POLAND TO TRY
AND REMOVE THE TUSK
THAT, LAST TIME, DEFEATED THEM.
HELLO, BOY.
NARRATOR: NINIO'S INFECTION
HAS MADE HIS TUSK SO DEFORMED,
GERHARD HAS SPENT
THE LAST FEW MONTHS DEVELOPING
EVEN MORE SPECIALIZED TOOLS
TO TRY AND GET IT OUT.
STEENKAMP: THESE ARE THE CUTTERS
THAT I'VE HAD MADE.
THEY MADE ME A VERY NICE CHISEL
HERE IN POLAND.
OH, YES. IT CAN SPLIT--
SPLIT THE BONE APART.
YEP.
NARRATOR: THIS IS GOING TO BE
AN EVEN MORE EXTREME OPERATION
THAN THE LAST,
BUT IT'S NINIO'S ONLY CHANCE.
THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF PUS
STILL COMING OUT OF IT,
BUT IT'S CLEAN IN TERMS
OF NO PARASITES,
NO MAGGOTS,OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
THERE'S LITTLE BITS
OF MOVEMENT ON SOME
OF THESE TUSK PIECES,
WHICH COULD BE POSITIVE.
NARRATOR: GERHARD HOPES THAT
IF HE STARTS BY HOLLOWING OUT
THE CENTER OF THE TUSK,
HE'LL THEN BE ABLE
TO REMOVE THE OUTER PIECES
MORE EASILY...
JUST CHANGING
HANDLES
SO WE CAN GET
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
[WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: BUT THE IVORY IS TOO
TOUGH, EVEN FOR THE NEW TOOLS.
COME A BIT MORE,
PLEASE.
NARRATOR: GERHARD DECIDES
THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
TO REMOVE THIS TUSK.
HE'S GOING TO TRY
AND PULL IT OUT
WITH THE HELP OF A COME-ALONG.
AH. ALL RIGHT.
NARRATOR: THE TUSK
IS LIKE A PIPE.
IT'S ONLY STRONG
WHEN IT'S INTACT.
SO ONCE THE FIRST PIECE
IS OUT...
GO, GO, GO, GO, GO.
NARRATOR: THE OTHERS FOLLOW.
YES!
STEENKAMP: RELIEVED,
ABSOLUTELY RELIEVED.
IT'S FEELING NICE
AND SMOOTH IN THERE,
NO BONE FRAGMENTS,
WHICH IS GREAT.
THERE'S NO MORE IVORY LEFT,
AND...
THINGS ARE LOOKING
REALLY GOOD.
NOW GERHARD CAN CLEAR AWAY
THE MASSIVE INFECTION
THAT WAS TRAPPED
BEHIND THE TUSK...
AND AFTER 3 HOURS,
THE OPERATION'S OVER.
NINIO BEGINS TO COME AROUND...
AND GERHARD GETS A LOOK AT THE
TUSK THAT SO NEARLY BEAT HIM.
NOW, NORMALLY, THE TUSK
WILL BE NICE, EVENLY SHAPED,
AND AT THE LIP,
THE CIRCUMFERENCE AT THE LIP
AND THE CIRCUMFERENCE AT
THE BACK WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR.
IN HERE, WE CAN SEE THAT THIS
WAS THE BACK PIECE, ENORMOUS,
AND IT IS MISSHAPEN.
NARRATOR: THE ABNORMAL SHAPE
OF THE TUSK SHOWS
JUST HOW CRUCIAL IT WAS
THAT GERHARD TOOK IT OUT.
THE NEXT DAY, THE VETS
CHECK IN ON NINIO.
STEENKAMP: ACTUALLY,
IT'S QUITE REMARKABLE,
AND NOW THAT
HIS TRUNK IS UP,
I CAN LOOK INTO
HIS EMPTY ALVEOLUS,
AND THERE'S
JUST ABOUT NOTHING...
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT OF IT.
MAN: REALLY NICE
AND CLEAN.
HE'S EATING QUITE WELL
AND MOVING AROUND WELL.
NARRATOR:
THE INFECTION HAS GONE,
AND WITH THE TUSK REMOVED,
IT WON'T RETURN,
AND NINIO WILL SOON
BE OUT OF PAIN
AND ABLE TO REJOIN
THE OTHER ELEPHANTS.
FOR BIG-ANIMAL VETS,
EVERY PATIENT COMES
WITH UNIQUE CHALLENGES.
GIANT TORTOISES
FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
IN SOUTH AMERICA MOVE SO SLOWLY
THAT THEIR MAIN PROTECTION
AGAINST PREDATORS
IS THEIR SHELL.
MADE OF BONE, THE SHELL IS PART
OF THE TORTOISE'S SKELETON,
ENCASING ALL THEIR INTERNAL
ORGANS, BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM.
IT MAKES THEM INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT TO TREAT.
AS PART OF A PROGRAM
TO TRY AND PROTECT
THIS CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED SPECIES,
LONDON ZOO IN ENGLAND
IS CURRENTLY HOME
TO 5 GALAPAGOS TORTOISES...
BUT ONE OF THEM IS SICK
AND HAS BEEN TAKEN
TO THE ZOO'S HOSPITAL.
PRISCILLA?
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: 18-YEAR-OLD PRISCILLA
HASN'T EATEN FOR WEEKS.
THE VETERINARY TEAM HERE
HAVE HAD TO INSERT
A FEEDING TUBE
TO KEEP HER ALIVE.
NORMALLY TORTOISES
GRAZE ALL THE TIME,
AND IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT SHE STOPPED DOING.
IT WAS OBVIOUS
FROM HER WEIGHT LOSS
AND THE FACT SHE WAS REALLY
KIND OF DOWN IN THE DUMPS
THAT SHE REALLY
WASN'T VERY WELL AT ALL.
NARRATOR: TORTOISES
OFTEN HAVE LIVER PROBLEMS.
SO THEY'RE WORRIED
THAT COULD BE THE CAUSE
OF PRISCILLA'S ILLNESS,
BUT THE DIFFICULTY
IS GETTING TO THE LIVER
TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG.
SINCE HER SHELL IS HER SKELETON,
IT WOULD BE TOO RISKY
AND PAINFUL
TO BREAK THROUGH IT
TO EXAMINE HER.
INSTEAD, THEY'VE CALLED IN THE
SAME KEYHOLE SURGERY SPECIALIST
WHO OPERATED ON CHAMPA THE MOON
BEAR TO SEE IF HE CAN HELP.
PIZZI: TORTOISE HAS BEEN ILL,
BUT IT'S DIFFICULT
TO PIECE EVERYTHING TOGETHER
AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THE EASIEST WAY
IS TO LOOK AT THE ORGANS.
WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO
IS DIAGNOSTIC SURGERY,
SO KEYHOLE SURGERY, TINY CUT.
WE'LL PUT IN A SURGICAL
TELESCOPE CALLED AN ENDOSCOPE,
HAVE A REALLY GOOD LOOK
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE,
AND, IF NECESSARY
AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABNORMAL,
TAKE A BIOPSY.
NARRATOR: THE ONLY PLACE ROMAIN
CAN GET ACCESS TO HER ORGANS
IS THROUGH THE SOFT SKIN
AT THE TOP OF HER BACK LEG,
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY.
ROMAIN CAN'T INFLATE PRISCILLA
LIKE HE DID CHAMPA.
PIZZI: YEAH. GO BACK A BIT.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US, YEAH?
PIZZI, VOICE-OVER:
SO THE TORTOISE IS IN A BIG BOX.
THAT MAKES GETTING INSIDE
REALLY DIFFICULT.
IN A PERSON OR MOST ANIMALS,
WE'D ACTUALLY PUFF THEM UP
WITH CARBON DIOXIDE,
AND THAT MAKES, LIKE, A TENT
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
WITH A TORTOISE,
IT'S GOT A RIGID TENT.
SO IT'S QUITE DIFFICULT
TO NAVIGATE AROUND
AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO SEE.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN HASN'T
TRIED THIS PROCEDURE
ON A TORTOISE
OF PRISCILLA'S SIZE BEFORE...
JUST BE VERY CAREFUL.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA
LET HER DO THAT, YEAH?
PIZZI: OK. SCOPE IN.
NARRATOR: AND HIS PLAN TO GET
THE BIOPSY FALLS THROUGH
BEFORE HE CAN EVEN BEGIN.
AN ULTRASOUND REVEALS
HER BLADDER'S COMPLETELY FULL,
BLOCKING HIS PATH.
PIZZI: MY MAIN RISK
IS STICKING AN ENDOSCOPE IN,
GOING INTO THE BODY, AND
ACTUALLY PUNCTURING THE BLADDER.
THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY
DON'T WANT TO DO, SO--
NARRATOR: ROMAIN DECIDES
THE ONLY WAY HE CAN GET
TO THE LIVER WITHOUT
DAMAGING HER BLADDER
IS TO TIP PRISCILLA
ONTO HER SIDE.
I'M HOPING
WHAT WE'LL DO IS,
ONCE YOU TILT HER
AND WE MAKE A NEST,
THINGS WILL FALL DOWN,
AND SO YOU'LL HAVE
A SAFE SPACE THERE
TO GO IN.
CAN YOU GET US
TWO MORE CHAIRS
AND TIE THEM
TOGETHER?
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
RIGHT. SO EXPLAIN.
SO THE CHAIRS--
TURN HER LATERAL, AND THAT
IS, IN ESSENCE A CRADLE.
1, 2, 3. GOOD GOD.
I'LL GET
THE LEGS.
NARRATOR:
PRISCILLA WEIGHS 150 KILOS,
AND IF THEY CRACK
OR DAMAGE HER SHELL,
IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO HEAL.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: WITH PRISCILLA
LYING ON HER SIDE,
ROMAIN CAN GET IN THROUGH THE
SOFT SKIN AT THE TOP OF HER LEG.
SHE'S BEEN ANAESTHETIZED
FOR AN HOUR AND
10 MINUTES NOW, GUYS.
NARRATOR: NOW HE CAN
TRY AND GET THE BIOPSY.
PIZZI:...HOW ELSE
TO DO THINGS.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN
MAKES TWO INCISIONS--
ONE FOR THE ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA
AND ONE FOR THE INSTRUMENT
THAT HE'LL TAKE THE SAMPLE WITH.
HE HAS TO MAKE HIS WAY CAREFULLY
TOWARDS HER LIVER.
PIZZI: THAT BLADDER
IS ABSOLUTELY HUGE
AND SUSTAINED.
WHAT IS INTERESTING
IS, THE LENGTH
OF THE INSTRUMENTS I'M
USING IS WHAT THEY CALL
BARI-- BARIATRIC
INSTRUMENTS, WHICH IS
WHAT THEY USE
IN VERY FAT PEOPLE.
SO THEY'RE EXTRA LENGTH,
AND THEY'RE JUST--
THE WHOLE LENGTH
OF THE INSTRUMENT
IS DISAPPEARING
INSIDE THE TORTOISE,
AND IT'S STILL NOT--
STILL NOT GETTING FAR.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S SHELL
MEANS THERE'S VERY LITTLE ROOM
FOR HIM TO MANEUVER.
IF YOU LOOK, IT'S LIKE
FIGHTING WITH CHOPSTICKS
INSIDE THIS TORTOISE.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: FINALLY, HE MAKES IT.
PIZZI: THIS IS THE LIVER.
THIS-- THIS WHOLE STRUCTURE
HERE IS LIVER.
WE'RE ONLY JUST SEEING THE EDGE.
HER LIVER'S NOT PRETTY.
I WOULD SAY, TO ME, THAT DOESN'T
LOOK NORMAL FOR MOST REPTILES.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S LIVER
IS A MUCH LIGHTER COLOR
THAN IT SHOULD BE,
CONFIRMING THEIR SUSPICIONS.
PIZZI: GOT A REASONABLE
PIECE THERE.
WE'LL TAKE A COUPLE
FROM THAT TIP.
I'LL GET THEM AROUND.
NARRATOR: HE SNIPS A TINY SAMPLE
WHICH WILL NOW BE SENT
TO THE ZOO'S LABORATORY
TO BE ANALYZED.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
HE? DON'T WANT IT IN
ANYMORE, DO YOU?
NARRATOR: AN HOUR LATER,
PRISCILLA'S AWAKE.
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: A WEEK LATER,
THE RESULTS OF THE BIOPSY REVEAL
THAT PRISCILLA HAS A CHRONIC
CONDITION CALLED FATTY LIVER.
IT'S TRIGGERED BY NOT EATING
AND MEANS THE LIVER
STARTS PROCESSING FATS
ABNORMALLY, WHICH CAN BE FATAL.
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: IN PRISCILLA,
THEY CAUGHT IT JUST IN TIME,
AND BY FEEDING HER
A NUTRIENT-RICH, LIQUID DIET
THROUGH THE TUBE,
MATT AND THE TEAM
MANAGED TO REVERSE THE DAMAGE,
AND NOW PRISCILLA'S BACK
EATING ON HER OWN.
MATT: SHE'S INTERACTING
WITH US MUCH MORE.
SHE'S JUST PLEASED TO SEE US NOW
AND COMES OVER
AND ENJOYS A FUSS,
AND PHYSICALLY, SHE'S MUCH,
MUCH STRONGER NOW.
SHE CAN STAND UP NOW.
YEAH. WE'RE REALLY PLEASED
WITH HER PROGRESS.
IT'S BEEN A VERY REWARDING
NURSING CASE.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S
PROTECTIVE SHELL MADE HER
A MORE CHALLENGING PATIENT
THAN MANY,
BUT ROMAIN'S KEYHOLE SURGERY
AND THE CARE OF THE TEAM HERE
MEANS A FEW WEEKS LATER,
SHE'S WELL ENOUGH
TO BE RETURNED TO HER ENCLOSURE.
WE'VE SEEN 21st-CENTURY
VETERINARY MEDICINE
IN ACTION AROUND THE WORLD.
HERE IN FLORIDA, IT'S COMING
TO THE RESCUE OF AN ANIMAL
THAT'S BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
ALLIGATORS ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST
CREATURES ON THE PLANET
AND HAVE BEEN LIVING IN SWAMPS,
LIKE THE EVERGLADES
NATIONAL PARK,
FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS.
THEY HAVE A BODY SHAPE THAT
WORKS WELL ON LAND AND IN WATER
AND CAN MOVE AT AMAZING SPEEDS
WHEN THEY NEED TO,
ALTHOUGH THEY STAY MOTIONLESS
WAITING FOR PREY
FOR MOST OF THE TIME.
THESE OPPORTUNISTIC PREDATORS
HAVE A FEARSOME REPUTATION
FOR MOST PEOPLE...
BUT NOT BOB FRIER.
HE'S BEEN RESCUING GATORS IN
NEED OF HELP FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
FRIER: I ACTUALLY GOT MY FIRST
ALLIGATOR BACK IN 1956.
MY FATHER ACTUALLY WENT
INTO A GAS STATION, CAME OUT,
AND, UH, JUST THREW A LITTLE
ALLIGATOR HATCHLING
IN THE BACK SEAT WITH ME.
UH, WHEN I WENT TO GRAB IT,
IT ACTUALLY GRABBED ME
BY THE FINGER,
AND THAT KIND OF STARTED
THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP
THAT I HAVE WITH ALLIGATORS.
[POP POP]
NARRATOR: BOB'S MOST RECENT
ARRIVAL IS MARTHA, WHO HE FOUND
SUFFERING FROM WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A CHRONIC INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE.
SHE HAS SWALLOWED SOMETHING THAT
HAS BASICALLY BLOCKED HER UP.
YOU CAN SEE HOW DISTENDED HER
STOMACH IS TO THE POINT
TO WHERE ALMOST YOU CAN'T
SEE THE PATTERNS
IN HER HIDE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S STRETCHED SO MUCH, SHE'S
JUST VERY UNCOMFORTABLE-LOOKING.
NARRATOR: THE OTHER ALLIGATORS
HAVE A SLEEK, AQUADYNAMIC SHAPE,
PERFECT FOR SWIMMING,
BUT MARTHA IS UNABLE
TO SUBMERGE HER BODY
BENEATH THE SURFACE.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW
WHAT CAUSED MARTHA'S BLOCKAGE...
BUT IT'S SO SEVERE THAT HER GUT
COULD RUPTURE AT ANY MOMENT.
THEY NEED TO GET HER TO A VET.
ALTHOUGH ALLIGATORS
HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST
DOWNWARD BITE PRESSURES
IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM,
THE MUSCLES USED TO OPEN THE JAW
CAN EFFECTIVELY BE DISABLED
WITH JUST TWO FINGERS
OR A BIT OF INSULATION TAPE.
MARTHA WILL BE EXAMINED
BY VET DR. DOUG MADER.
[MEOW]
HELLO.
HE'S ALSO A WORLD-RENOWNED
REPTILE SPECIALIST.
MADER; HEY, BOB,
WHO DO WE GOT HERE?
UH, WELL, WE'VE
NAMED HER MARTHA,
AND BASICALLY--
YOU CAN TELL
FROM THE DISTENDED
STOMACH THERE--
SHE'S NOT FEELING
VERY GOOD.
SHE'S NOT FEELING GOOD.
SHE'S REALLY BLOATED.
ALL RIGHT, KIDDO. YOU'RE
AT THE RIGHT PLACE.
MADER: SO WHAT
WE'RE GONNA DO IS,
WE'RE GONNA TRY
AND GIVE HER A LOOK-OVER.
SHE IS PACKED.
MOST LIKELY,
SHE'S PROBABLY SWALLOWED
SOMETHING SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO.
SO WE'LL TAKE HER IN AND HAVE
THE NURSES GET THE X-RAYS.
OK.
NARRATOR: THE X-RAYS REVEAL
JUST HOW UNWELL MARTHA IS.
THIS IS HER
STOMACH HERE,
AND THESE
LARGE MASSES
ARE NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE THERE.
YOU CAN SEE,
THE PELVIS IS HERE,
AND EVEN THE SMALLER
OF THE MASSES,
THEY'D NEVER FIT
THROUGH THE PELVIS.
NARRATOR: MARTHA'S ONLY HOPE
IS SURGERY TO REMOVE
THESE BLOCKAGES.
MADER: WE'RE USING, UH,
21st-CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
TO SAVE AN ANIMAL THAT'S BEEN
AROUND SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
OH, ARE WE READY?
ALL SET.
OK. HERE WE GO.
NARRATOR: AT LAST,
DOUG CAN FIND OUT
WHAT'S CAUSING
MARTHA'S BLOCKED GUT.
HE'S USING A THERMAL SCALPEL
WHICH CAUTERIZES
THE INCISION AS HE CUTS
AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT
OF BLEEDING.
MADER: SHE MAY JUMP.
SHE'S NOT AWAKE.
THAT'S NORMAL FOR
SORT OF ABDOMINAL MUSCLES.
NARRATOR: DOUG SEES IMMEDIATELY
THAT THINGS
ARE MUCH WORSE
THAN HE WAS EXPECTING.
MADER: WHAT I NEED TO DO IS
FIGURE OUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
NARRATOR: HE DISCOVERS THAT
MARTHA'S GUTS
HAD BECOME SO INFLAMED
THAT THEY ARE SCARRED
AND STUCK TOGETHER...
BUT HE MANAGES TO SEPARATE OUT
ONE OF THE HUGE LUMPS
HE SAW ON THE X-RAY.
MADER: SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
HERE, THIS IS THE LARGE COLON,
AND NORMALLY, IT'S
THE SIZE OF MY THUMB.
IF WE OPEN THIS UP,
IT'S GONNA GET REALLY UGLY.
WE'RE GONNA NEED SEVERAL PAIRS
OF GLOVES HERE TO--
OH, YUCK. OK.
NOW I NEED THE, UM, BUCKET.
WOMAN:
WHAT IS THAT?
NARRATOR: THE TEAM
HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING
WHAT CAUSED MARTHA'S
INITIAL BLOCKAGE,
BUT THE AMOUNT OF WASTE
IN HER GUT
SUGGESTS SHE'S BEEN ILL
FOR MONTHS.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE
LOOKING AT ON THE X-RAY,
JUST BALLS AND BALLS
OF ALLIGATOR FECES.
NARRATOR: VERY FEW ANIMALS
COULD SURVIVE FOR THIS LONG
WITH THIS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE,
BUT ALLIGATORS HAVE EVOLVED
TO HAVE VERY STRONG
IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
MADER: BOB, COME OVER MY LEFT
SHOULDER JUST SO YOU CAN SEE.
THIS IS YOUR ANIMAL.
HMM.
BUT THE WHOLE PELVIS
IS SCARRED OVER.
THERE'S NO CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE COLON
WHERE ALL THE FECES WERE
AND THE OUTSIDE.
YEAH.
BOB, I HATE TO SAY THIS,
BUT I THINK--
WE MADE A TRY.
NARRATOR: NO AMOUNT OF SURGERY
CAN HELP MARTHA.
MADER: SO WE'LL
PUT HER TO SLEEP.
WE'LL EUTHANIZE HER
BEFORE SHE WAKES UP,
NOT THE WAY WE
WANTED IT TO END,
BUT IT'S PART OF OUR JOB
AS VETERINARIANS.
SHE'S GONE.
****
****
SORRY, BOB.
YEP.
I KNOW YOU CARE
ABOUT YOUR ANIMALS.
I'M SO SORRY.
FRIER: I WOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN ABLE NOT TO TRY.
I MEAN WE-- WE HAD
TO GIVE IT A TRY, UM,
AND I WAS HOPING FOR BETTER
RESULTS THAN THIS.
UM...
NARRATOR:
MARTHA WAS JUST TOO ILL
FOR DOUG AND BOB TO SAVE HER...
BUT THEIR EFFORTS HAVE AT LEAST
PUT AN END TO HER SUFFERING.
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
IN LAOS, IT'S BEEN 6 MONTHS
SINCE CHAMPA THE MOON BEAR
HAD KEYHOLE BRAIN SURGERY.
BROCKLEHURST: I'VE JUST
PUT TOGETHER A FEW BRANCHES
FOR CHAMPA.
SHE JUST LIKES ANYTHING NEW
THAT COMES INTO THE ENCLOSURE
JUST TO CHECK IT OUT,
BUT SHE PARTICULARLY LIKES
THE BANANA TREE OR ANYTHING
WITH SOME LEAFY BRANCHES
BECAUSE SHE--
THEY'RE QUITE DESTRUCTIVE.
SHE LOVES TO JUST SIT THERE
AND BREAK IT UP.
CHAMPA, CHAMPA,
COME ON, GIRL.
NARRATOR: THE TUBE WHICH RUNS
FROM CHAMPA'S BRAIN
DOWN TO HER ABDOMEN
MEANS EXCESS FLUID
IS NO LONGER BUILDING UP THERE.
HAVING THIS OPERATION
HAS, YOU KNOW,
TRANSFORMED HER WHOLE LIFE.
SHE'S GONE FROM A BEAR WHICH
WAS VIRTUALLY 24 HOURS A DAY
IN TERRIBLE PAIN, AND SHE
HAD NO QUALITY OF LIFE.
SHE, YOU KNOW--
SHE COULD HARDLY EAT,
SHE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN,
BUT SINCE THEN, SHE'S--
SHE'S A DIFFERENT BEAR.
SHE'D NEVER DO THIS BEFORE.
SHE NEVER EVEN HAVE HER HEAD UP.
NARRATOR: WHILE CHAMPA
WILL NEVER BE ABLE
TO LIVE WITH THE OTHER BEARS,
MIKE'S SEEN A HUGE CHANGE
IN HER BEHAVIOR...
YEAH. WHAT IS THAT?
OOH, CHEEKY BEAR.
OOH, CHEEKY BEAR.
THIS IS HOW BEARS
PLAY WITH EACH OTHER.
THEY LIKE TO MOUTH EACH OTHER
AND SWIPE EACH OTHER.
YOU, YOU'RE A BAD GIRL.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
[CLICKS TONGUE]
NARRATOR: AND HE HOPES CHAMPA
WILL GO ON TO LEAD A FULL LIFE
FREE FROM THE PAIN THAT HAD
TORMENTED HER FOR SO LONG.
YOU'RE A HONEY BEAR.
YOU'RE A GOOD BEAR,
AREN'T YOU?
YOU'RE A GOOD BEAR,
THOUGH,
YOU, YOU, YOU.
NARRATOR: AROUND THE WORLD,
MANY ANIMALS FACE
GREAT CHALLENGES
TO THEIR SURVIVAL...
BUT ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS,
INNOVATIVE SURGERY,
AND THE DEDICATION OF VETS
MEANS WE CAN NOW CARE FOR THEM
IN WAYS WE NEVER COULD BEFORE.
THE BIGGEST, THE STRONGEST,
AND MOST WELL-PROTECTED ANIMALS
ON THE PLANET NEED OUR HELP,
AND AROUND THE WORLD, DEDICATED
VETS ARE COMING TO THEIR RESCUE.
[TRUMPETS]
ITS OBVIOUSLY
QUITE PAINFUL.
IT'S MY OPINION
THAT THE BULLET'S
STILL INSIDE THERE.
NARRATOR: IN THIS SERIES,
ANIMAL MEDICS OVERCOME
UNIQUE CHALLENGES
TO SAVE THE LIVES OF SOME OF
THE RAREST ANIMALS ON EARTH...
MAN: WE POTENTIALLY
COULD HAVE A TUMOR
OR A MASS OR
SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE
THAT'S CAUSING
THE BLEEDING.
NARRATOR: AND MEDICAL
INNOVATIONS TRANSFORM
THE WAY WE CARE FOR ANIMALS.
MAN: WE'RE USING 21st-CENTURY
TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE AN ANIMAL
THAT'S BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
NARRATOR: THIS WEEK,
EXTREME ELEPHANT DENTISTRY,
KEYHOLE SURGERY
ON A GIANT TORTOISE,
AND WILL A REMARKABLE INVENTION
HELP FUJI THE DOLPHIN
SWIM AGAIN?
THIS IS LAOS,
A LANDLOCKED COUNTRY
BETWEEN THAILAND AND VIETNAM,
AND HERE VETS
ARE GOING TO ATTEMPT
GROUNDBREAKING BRAIN SURGERY.
LAOS IS HOME TO
AN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF BEAR
THAT'S ONLY FOUND HERE IN ASIA--
THE ASIATIC BLACK BEAR,
OR MOON BEAR,
NAMED AFTER THE CRESCENT-SHAPED
STRIPE ACROSS THEIR CHESTS.
THE TAT KUANG SI BEAR
RESCUE CENTRE...
MAN: DEE DEE.
HERE YOU GO, DEE DEE.
NARRATOR: IS RUN
BY A BRITISH TRANSPLANT--
MIKE BROCKLEHURST.
MIKE AND HIS TEAM CURRENTLY
LOOK AFTER 24 BEARS
RESCUED FROM TRAFFICKERS
WHO WOULD EXTRACT THEIR BILE
TO USE IN SOME TRADITIONAL
EASTERN MEDICINE.
4 YEARS AGO, MIKE TOOK IN
A 3-MONTH-OLD CUB CALLED CHAMPA
WHO'D BEEN FOUND
IN A NEARBY VILLAGE.
BROCKLEHURST: WELL, SHE WASN'T
IN GREAT CONDITION.
SHE WAS VERY MALNOURISHED.
SHE ONLY WEIGHED 1.7 KILOS.
SHE WAS ALL BELLY AND LEGS,
OBVIOUSLY SUFFERING
WITH MALNUTRITION.
SHE HAD A BIG, DOMED HEAD
WITH A POINTY NOSE.
HER EYES WERE BULGING OUT.
ALL THE TEETH WERE GOING BROWN.
I DIDN'T THINK SHE'D SURVIVE.
SO I USED TO TAKE HER HOME
EVERY DAY,
BRING HER WITH ME
TO THE SANCTUARY,
FEED HER THROUGHOUT
THE DAY AND NIGHT.
ONCE SHE, UH, STABILIZED,
SHE WAS ACTUALLY QUITE FEISTY.
SHE'D ACTUALLY STAND UP
ON HER HIND LEGS--
ALL, YOU KNOW,
12 INCHES OF HER--
AND ACTUALLY SWIPE AT ME.
COME ON, CHAMPS.
COME ON,
CHAMPS.
NARRATOR: BUT DESPITE
HIS LOVE AND CARE,
AS CHAMPA GOT OLDER,
MIKE BEGAN TO SUSPECT
THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG.
BROCKLEHURST: I STARTED
REALIZING THAT SHE WASN'T
DEVELOPING AS WELL
AS THE OTHER BEARS,
AND SHE WAS, PERHAPS,
LOSING HER SIGHT.
SHE WEIGHS PROBABLY
ABOUT 20% LESS
THAN THE OTHER BEARS OF HER AGE,
AND SOME DAYS,
SHE'LL JUST WANT TO STAY
IN THE HAMMOCK ALL DAY,
SHE WON'T COME OUTSIDE.
SHE DOESN'T DO A LOT.
NARRATOR: THE SANCTUARY'S
MEDICAL TEAM THINK CHAMPA
WAS BORN WITH HYDROCEPHALUS,
COMMONLY KNOWN AS WATER
ON THE BRAIN.
THE BRAIN IN BOTH
HUMANS AND ANIMALS
IS SURROUNDED
BY CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
WHICH IS CONSTANTLY REPLENISHED.
HYDROCEPHALUS RESULTS WHEN
TOO MUCH OF THE FLUID BUILDS UP.
FOR CHAMPA, IT MEANS HER BRAIN
HASN'T DEVELOPED PROPERLY.
SHE HAS POOR VISION,
AND THE PRESSURE IN HER HEAD
CAUSES EXCRUCIATING HEADACHES.
BROCKLEHURST:
IT'S BEEN A STEADY DECLINE.
UH, SHE'S JUST BECOMING,
YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT
MORE WITHDRAWN.
UH, SHE'S OBVIOUSLY
IN A LOT OF PAIN.
NARRATOR: THE STRONG BUDDHIST
TRADITION HERE IN LAOS
AND COMPLEX LAWS SURROUNDING
ENDANGERED ANIMALS
MEAN EUTHANIZING CHAMPA
ISN'T AN OPTION.
SO MIKE IS DETERMINED THAT,
EVEN IF SHE WON'T EVER HAVE
THE SAME KIND OF LIFE
AS THE OTHER BEARS,
SHE SHOULD AT LEAST
LIVE WITHOUT PAIN.
GOOD GIRL, HEY?
JON, DO YOU WANT TO
GIVE ME A HAND WITH THIS?
NARRATOR: MIKE CONTACTED
VET ROMAIN PIZZI,
WHO VOLUNTEERED
TO TRY AND HELP...
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S JUST GRAB THAT.
NARRATOR: AND A FUNDRAISING
APPEAL HAS ALLOWED THE CENTER
TO FLY HIM,
ANESTHETIST JONATHAN,
AND ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT
OUT HERE TO LAOS.
'CAUSE YOU BOUGHT
ENOUGH GEAR WITH YOU.
WELL, WE ARE DOING,
UH, BRAIN SURGERY.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN IS A PIONEER
OF KEYHOLE SURGERY FOR ANIMALS,
AND HE THINKS
HE'LL BE ABLE TO RELIEVE
THE PRESSURE ON CHAMPA'S BRAIN.
ROMAIN IS GOING TO TRY TO
IMPLANT A TUBE INTO HER BRAIN
THAT WILL DRAIN OUT THE EXCESS
FLUID WHENEVER IT BUILDS UP.
THIS DELICATE OPERATION WAS
ORIGINALLY DEVISED FOR HUMANS.
DOCTORS HAVE BEEN USING THIS
TECHNIQUE ON CHILDREN AND ADULTS
WITH HYDROCEPHALUS
FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS,
BUT IT'S THE FIRST TIME ANYONE'S
ATTEMPTED IT ON A BEAR.
PIZZI: I KNOW
THERE ARE REAL RISKS.
THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS
THAT CAN GO WRONG,
BUT THE THING IS,
IF I DO NOTHING,
IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR A YEAR,
SHE'LL BE DEAD
AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE
A SLOW PERIOD
THAT'S REALLY
GONNA BE AGONIZING,
AND I'D HATE FOR THAT
TO BE THE CASE.
COME ON.
NARRATOR: BUT MIKE IS HOPING
THAT TOMORROW'S OPERATION
WILL RADICALLY IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF CHAMPA'S LIFE.
IT'S HERE.
IT'S HERE.
COME ON.
IT'S GOOD STUFF.
NARRATOR: SOMETIMES
THE HARDEST PART
OF A VET'S JOB CAN BE
MAKING A DIAGNOSIS.
ALL RIGHT, AND YOU GUYS
WANT TO JUMP UP THERE
AND PULL HER IN?
NARRATOR: IN CHICAGO,
THIS TEAM NEED TO FIND OUT
WHAT'S WRONG WITH TIARA.
SHE'S AN EXTREMELY RARE
AMUR TIGER,
ONE OF JUST 500 LEFT
IN THE WORLD.
TIARA'S HAD A NOSEBLEED.
IT'S AN UNUSUAL SYMPTOM
IN A BIG CAT,
AND THE VETS HERE
AT BROOKFIELD ZOO ARE WORRIED
IT'S A SIGN OF SOMETHING
MORE SERIOUS,
ESPECIALLY SINCE, AT 17,
TIARA'S REACHING
THE UPPER AGE LIMIT
FOR CAPTIVE TIGERS.
AND WE'LL TAKE
A LOOK AT HER.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GO FOR IN THERE.
MAN: ONE OF THE BIGGER CONCERNS,
THAT WE POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW,
COULD HAVE A TUMOR OR A MASS
OR SOMETHING ELSE IN THERE
THAT'S CAUSING THE BLEEDING.
ONE THING WE'RE ALL GOING
TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT
IS NOT GETTING OUR HANDS
IN HER MOUTH AT ALL.
NARRATOR:
TIARA WEIGHS IN AT 250 POUNDS
AND HAS 6-CENTIMETER-LONG
INCISORS.
MAN: GONNA GO
UNDER HER CHIN.
LIPS ARE
A LITTLE HIGH.
NARRATOR: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
FOR HEAD VET MIKE ADKINSON
TO EXAMINE TIARA LIKE THIS
WHEN SHE'S AWAKE.
ADKINSON: SHE'S A LITTLE
ON THE THIN SIDE,
WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING.
WE LIKE TO SEE OUR ANIMALS
A LITTLE BIT ON THE--
THE LEAN SIDE SO THAT WE DON'T
RUN INTO ISSUES
WITH THEM BECOMING OVERWEIGHT.
3.
NARRATOR: TO FIND OUT
WHAT'S BEHIND TIARA'S NOSEBLEED,
MIKE IS GOING TO EXAMINE HER
WITH A CT SCANNER
JUST LIKE YOU'D FIND
IN ONE OF OUR HOSPITALS.
DO YOU WANT IT BACK?
OK. LET'S GO
FORWARD WITH IT.
NARRATOR: THIS MACHINE'S
BEEN ADAPTED FOR ANIMALS,
ALTHOUGH NOT ALL OF THEM
ARE AS BIG AS TIARA.
ADKINSON: OK. UM...
LIKE TO TRY
AND WEDGE HER MOUTH
A LITTLE BIT TO GET
HER JAWS OPEN.
I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE HAVE ANY--
OK. LET'S GET HER.
NARRATOR: THE SCANNER USES
X- RAYS TO BUILD A 3D IMAGE
OF THE INSIDE OF TIARA'S HEAD.
SO IT'S, UH, BASICALLY
A GIANT X-RAY MACHINE
THAT TAKES SORT OF
CROSS-SECTIONAL IMAGES.
SO IF YOU THINK
OF A LOAF OF BREAD
THAT'S BEING SLICED
INTO A BUNCH OF SLICES,
THAT'S BASICALLY THE SET
OF IMAGES WE GET OUT.
ARE WE SET WITH,
UH, ANESTHESIA?
WE'LL TURN THIS ON
AND THEN TURN THAT THING ON,
AND IT'LL--
ALL RIGHT.
ADKINSON: WE'RE SCANNING,
BASICALLY, FROM THE TIP
OF HER NOSE ALL THE WAY
TO THE BACK OF THE SKULL,
UH, WHICH IS GONNA GIVE US
A LOOK INSIDE
OF THE NASAL PASSAGES,
THE SINUSES.
WE'RE LOOKING
FOR ANY IRREGULARITY
OR ASYMMETRY
BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
NARRATOR: THE ONLY OTHER WAY
TO EXAMINE HER IN THIS DETAIL
WOULD BE INVASIVE SURGERY, AND
THAT WOULD BE FAR MORE RISKY.
MAN: ALL RIGHT. WE WANT
TO MAKE A COUPLE SHOTS,
AND THEN WE'LL ROLL HER
ONTO THE GURNEY.
PLAYING
WITH THE SMALL..
NARRATOR: AS TIARA BEGINS
TO COME OUT OF THE ANESTHESIA,
IT'S CRUCIAL THEY GET
THEIR TIMING RIGHT.
IT'S TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE TEAM
TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM
AS AN ADULT TIGER
WHEN IT'S AWAKE,
BUT THEY HAVE TO WAIT
FOR THE SIGNS
THAT SHE'S BREATHING
PROPERLY ON HER OWN.
ADKINSON: AS SHE STARTS
COMING UP, THE FIRST THING
SHE'LL START DOING HERE IS SORT
OF FIGHTING THIS AIRWAY TUBE
A LITTLE BIT, AND IN THE PROCESS
OF COUGHING THAT OUT,
WE'LL KNOW THAT SHE'S
GETTING READY TO WAKE UP.
[GROWLING]
WE'RE GOOD.
OK.
NARRATOR: IT WILL TAKE MIKE
THE REST OF THE DAY TO EXAMINE
THE RESULTS OF THE SCAN
TO DISCOVER
WHAT'S BEHIND TIARA'S NOSEBLEED.
HE'LL FIND OUT IF HE NEEDS
TO OPERATE,
BUT FOR SOME ANIMAL MEDICS
THAT'S NOT AN OPTION.
THEY HAVE TO FIND
MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
TO TREAT THEIR PATIENTS.
DR. KEIICHI UEDA
ISN'T JUST A VET,
BUT AN INVENTOR BASED
AT CHURAUMI AQUARIUM
ON THE JAPANESE ISLAND
OF OKINAWA.
TODAY HE'S GOING TO TRY OUT
AN EXTRAORDINARY INVENTION
THAT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE
IN THE MAKING.
IT COULD TRANSFORM
THE LIFE OF FUJI,
A DOLPHIN WITH NO TAIL.
FUJI LOST HER TAIL
TO A BACTERIAL INFECTION
THAT NEARLY KILLED HER.
SHE'S MISSING
THE END OF HER TAIL
WHERE IT SHOULD SPLIT
INTO TWO FLUKES.
THESE PROPEL DOLPHINS
THROUGH THE WATER...
AND HELP THEM LEAP INTO THE AIR.
THEY EVEN USE THEIR FLUKES
TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
LOSING HER FLUKES
RADICALLY CHANGED FUJI'S LIFE.
THE MOTHER OF 3
STOPPED SOCIALIZING
WITH THE OTHER DOLPHINS,
AS SHE WASN'T ABLE
TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
NARRATOR: SINCE FUJI'S ILLNESS,
KEIICHI HAS BEEN TRYING
TO FIND A WAY TO HELP HER.
HE'S BEEN DEVELOPING
PROSTHETIC TAILS FOR HER
WITH THE HELP OF A FRIEND
AT A JAPANESE TIRE MAKER.
NARRATOR: IT TOOK KEIICHI
8 MORE ATTEMPTS TO ARRIVE
AT THIS PRECISION-ENGINEERED
VERSION MADE
FROM SILICONE RUBBER
AND REINFORCED CARBON FIBER.
AND...
NARRATOR: KEIICHI WILL ONLY KNOW
IF IT'S AS GOOD AS A REAL TAIL
IF FUJI IS ABLE TO PROPEL
HERSELF OUT OF THE WATER.
I HOPE.
NARRATOR: TODAY WILL BE
THE FIRST TIME
HE'LL BE FITTING
HIS NEW PROSTHETIC ONTO FUJI.
SHE TRUSTS THE TEAM HERE
AND IS USED TO THEM
FITTING THE TAILS ON HER.
KEIICHI'S HOPING
THIS WILL BE THE ONE
THAT TRANSFORMS HER LIFE.
THE INSIDE OF THIS PROSTHETIC
HAS BEEN CAST
IN THE EXACT SHAPE
OF FUJI'S TAIL STUMP.
IT'S HELD ON
BY THIS CARBON FIBER BRACE.
IT LOOKS SIMPLE, BUT
THE PROSTHETIC HAS TO PERFORM
IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY
AS REAL FLUKES WOULD.
IT SEEMS TO FIT PERFECTLY,
BUT FUJI ISN'T SWIMMING
ANY BETTER THAN BEFORE.
UEDA: SHE IS NERVOUS.
NARRATOR: KEIICHI CAN ONLY HOPE
THAT FUJI JUST NEEDS SOME TIME
TO GET USED
TO THE NEW PROSTHETIC
AND REMEMBER
WHAT SHE'S CAPABLE OF
WITH A FULLY FUNCTIONING TAIL.
GRADUALLY,
FUJI GAINS CONFIDENCE.
UEDA: SHE WARMING UP. HA HA HA!
HA HA HA!
NARRATOR: SHE SEEMS HAPPY
WITH THE NEW MODEL
AND IS SWIMMING WELL...
HA HA HA!
NARRATOR: BUT THE ULTIMATE TEST
IS IF SHE CAN LEAP
INTO THE AIR...
KEIICHI: SHE MAKE A JUMP.
NARRATOR: AS THIS WILL MEAN
SHE CAN PLAY
WITH THE OTHER DOLPHINS AGAIN.
HA HA!
LOOK AT THAT.
VERY EXCELLENT.
NARRATOR: AT HER FIRST ATTEMPT,
SHE MANAGES A 3-METER JUMP,
PROPELLING HER WHOLE BODY
OUT OF THE WATER.
[CLICKING]
KEIICHI: ONE MORE.
NARRATOR: KEIICHI'S
DETERMINATION HAS PAID OFF.
GOOD JOB.
SHE MADE A BEAUTIFUL JUMP.
I'M VERY HAPPY.
I HOPE HER NEW TAIL WILL
GIVE HER NEW LIFE,
I HOPE. HA!
[CLICKING]
NARRATOR: HER NEW TAIL
HAS GIVEN FUJI BACK
HER STRENGTH AND SPEED,
AND IT MEANS SHE CAN LEAP
AND PLAY WITH
THE OTHER DOLPHINS AGAIN.
WE'VE SEEN HOW SOMETIMES VETS
CAN TURN TO HUMAN MEDICINE
TO HELP THEM TREAT
THEIR PATIENTS,
BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE,
AND SPECIALIZED SOLUTIONS
ARE NECESSARY.
ELEPHANTS' TUSKS
ARE TWO ELONGATED INCISOR TEETH
USED FOR FIGHTING...
DIGGING...
AND MOVING TREES.
THEY GROW THROUGHOUT
AN ELEPHANT'S LIFE.
TREATING THEM TAKES EXPERTISE
AND VERY PARTICULAR GEAR.
[DOG BARKS]
MAN: THIS IS A DOMESTIC SAW.
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT
YOU DON'T GO AND BUY EQUIPMENT
FOR ELEPHANT DENTISTRY, DO YOU?
THERE IS JUST NOTHING AVAILABLE.
SO WE HAVE TO COPE
WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT
AND ALL OF THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS
HERE WAS BUILT, AS WELL.
ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS
IS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER,
AND THIS IS THEIR HANDIWORK.
NARRATOR: WITH THIS CUSTOM SET
OF INSTRUMENTS,
BIG-ANIMAL DENTIST
GERHARD STEENKAMP
AND VET ADRIAN TORDIFFE
HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO TRY
AND REMOVE THE TUSK
OF A 5-TON ELEPHANT.
TORDIFFE: NEED ANY OF
THE OTHER EQUIPMENT HERE?
STEENKAMP: I'M GONNA
NEED MOST OF THAT.
NARRATOR: NINIO IS A 13-YEAR-OLD
AFRICAN ELEPHANT
WHO LIVES AT POZNAN ZOO
IN POLAND.
JUST AS ELEPHANTS CAN
IN THE WILD,
NINIO CRACKED HIS LEFT TUSK,
WHICH EXPOSED THE PULP
TO BACTERIA
AND CAUSED AN INFECTION.
THE TEAM HERE HAS TRIED TO TREAT
NINIO WITH ANTIBIOTICS
AND EVEN DRILLED OUT
SOME OF THE TUSK...
BUT THE INFECTION WON'T GO AWAY,
AND THEY'RE WORRIED
IT COULD SPREAD INTO HIS SKULL
AND END UP KILLING HIM.
WOMAN: NINIO IS EXPERIENCING
PAIN AND MAJOR INFECTION
IN THE TUSK, AND HE HAS
THIS BIG HOLE IN THE TUSK,
AND IT IS REALLY
UNPLEASANT TO HIM.
SO WE MUST HELP HIM,
AND WE WILL DO THIS.
NARRATOR: THE SOUTH AFRICAN VETS
THINK THE ONLY WAY
TO GET THE INFECTION
UNDER CONTROL
IS TO COMPLETELY REMOVE
NINIO'S TUSK.
FIRST, ADRIAN HAS
TO ANAESTHETIZE NINIO
WITH A DART GUN LOADED
WITH DRUGS
MANY TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN WOULD BE USED ON US.
TORDIFFE:
YEAH. ONE--
ONE MILLILITER,
OR TWO MILLILITER.
THIS STUFF IS INCREDIBLY POTENT.
THIS ONE DROP WOULD PROBABLY
PRETTY MUCH KNOCK DOWN
EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, YOU KNOW,
AND STOP THEM BREATHING.
READY TO GO.
NARRATOR: ADRIAN DOESN'T WANT
NINIO TO BECOME STRESSED
AT THE SIGHT OF THE GUN,
AS IT WILL MAKE HIM
RELEASE ADRENALINE, MAKING IT
HARDER FOR HIM TO GO TO SLEEP.
[POP]
[NINIO BELLOWS]
[BELLOWS]
NARRATOR: IF NINIO LIES DOWN
IN THE WRONG POSITION
OR FOR TOO LONG,
HE COULD CRUSH HIS INTERNAL
ORGANS UNDER HIS OWN WEIGHT.
SO THEY'RE WORKING
AGAINST THE CLOCK.
GERHARD QUICKLY REMOVES THE
OUTER PART OF THE INFECTED TUSK.
ELEPHANT DENTISTRY
IS NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED.
OK. ENDOSCOPE,
THE SLEEVE.
NARRATOR: NOW USING HIS
SPECIALLY DESIGNED ENDOSCOPE,
HE'S ABLE TO SEE THAT
THE INFECTION IS ROTTING AWAY
THE LIVING TISSUE
INSIDE NINIO'S TUSK.
STEENKAMP: YEAH.
SO THAT IS THE DEAD PULP.
STILL A LITTLE BIT ALIVE,
BUT SO INFLAMED AND INFECTED.
NARRATOR:
TO CLEAR THE INFECTION,
GERHARD NEEDS TO REMOVE
THE ENTIRE ROOT OF THE TUSK...
WHICH GOES HALF A METER
INTO NINIO'S SKULL...
BUT AN HOUR INTO THE OPERATION,
HE'S MADE LITTLE PROGRESS...
I NEED A HEAVIER HAMMER.
THIS IS NO-GOOD.
OK. WE'LL TRY TO FIND
A BIGGER ONE.
NARRATOR: AND HE DISCOVERS WHY
THIS TUSK IS HARDER TO REMOVE
THAN MOST OTHERS HE'S WORKED ON.
HOW ARE WE LOOKING?
OK.
NARRATOR: THE INFECTION'S
SO SEVERE,
IT'S MADE THE TUSK GROW
IN A COMPLETELY ABNORMAL WAY.
THE IVORY
IS CLOSED OFF.
THERE'S A WALL
RIGHT HERE,
AND I CANNOT GET
BEYOND IT.
NARRATOR: TO MAKE THINGS WORSE,
GERHARD IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
WE'LL GIVE HIM ANOTHER
TWO MILLIGRAMS, OK?
NARRATOR: NINIO'S
ALREADY BEEN ASLEEP
FOR LONGER THAN THEY HAD HOPED.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE HIM
ANY MORE ANESTHETIC.
ALL GERHARD MANAGES TO DO
IS BREAK A SMALL HOLE
INTO THE WALL OF IVORY,
WHICH HE HOPES WILL RELIEVE
SOME PRESSURE
FROM THE INFECTION,
BUT HE CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.
SO IT'S NOT
COMING OUT TODAY?
UH, NOT TODAY.
SO I THINK WE NEED
TO WAKE HIM UP.
STEENKAMP: IT IS THE FIRST
TOOTH IN MY LIFE
THAT I CANNOT GET OUT.
SO THAT IS REALLY DISAPPOINTING.
I SUPPOSE THERE HAS TO BE ONE,
AND IT HAD TO BE THIS ONE,
BUT, I MEAN, IT'S
A MONSTER TUSK, AND THERE'S--
BUT THAT IS HOW WE LEARN.
THAT'S HOW WE PERSEVERE.
NARRATOR: NINIO RECOVERS WELL
FROM THE ANESTHETIC.
AND THE OPERATION WILL ALLOW
THE INFECTION TO DRAIN.
SO HE SHOULD START
TO FEEL BETTER...
I'M JUST RELIEVED THAT HE'S
STANDING AND LOOKING OK.
BUT GERHARD AND ADRIAN
WILL HAVE TO FIND A WAY
TO GET THAT TUSK OUT,
OR THE INFECTION
WILL TAKE HOLD AGAIN,
AND NINIO MIGHT NOT SURVIVE.
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
BACK AT THE MOON BEAR
SANCTUARY IN LAOS,
IT'S THE MORNING
OF CHAMPA'S OPERATION.
SHE'S ABOUT TO HAVE
GROUNDBREAKING SURGERY
TO TRY AND RELIEVE
THE PRESSURE ON HER BRAIN
CAUSED BY HYDROCEPHALUS.
CHAMPA.
NARRATOR: MIKE, WHO RESCUED
CHAMPA AS A TINY CUB,
IS HOPING IT'S GOING TO BE
A WHOLE NEW START FOR HER.
BROCKLEHURST: I DON'T THINK
I SLEPT AT ALL LAST NIGHT.
I WENT TO BED EARLY HOPING TO,
UH, BE, UH, FRESH THIS MORNING,
BUT, YEAH, I-- I JUST, UH, KEPT
THINKING ALL NIGHT, "WHAT'S--
YOU KNOW, "WHAT DOES THE DAY
HOLD FOR US TODAY?"
HOLD ON.
LOOKS LIKE...
NARRATOR: VET JONATHAN CRACKNELL
NEEDS TO GIVE CHAMPA
AN ANESTHETIC...
GOOD. SHE'S DONE.
IT'S ALL DONE.
IT'S GREAT.
OH. OH, YEAH.
VERY WOBBLY.
NARRATOR: BUT BEFORE
THEY EVEN GET HER TO SURGERY,
HE REALIZES CHAMPA'S
NOT REACTING WELL
TO THE DRUGS HE'S GIVEN HER.
CAN YOU GET ME THE AMBU
BAG AND THE TUBES?
BECAUSE YOU'RE
NOT BREATHING.
NARRATOR: THIS IS ONE
OF THE RISKS OF OPERATING
IN THE JUNGLE, WHERE THE PATIENT
CAN'T BE RIGGED UP
TO OXYGEN BEFORE RECEIVING
ANESTHESIA.
SHE STOPPED BREATHING?
YEP.
NARRATOR: JONATHAN
HAS JUST MOMENTS TO TRY
AND CLEAR HER AIRWAY.
OTHERWISE, CHAMPA'S CHANCE
FOR A NEW LIFE
WILL BE OVER
BEFORE IT'S EVEN BEGUN.
HE HAS TO INSERT A TUBE
DIRECTLY INTO HER WINDPIPE.
SHE'S BREATHING NOW?
YEP.
YEAH. THERE YOU GO.
THAT WAS A BIT TENSE.
THAT WAS
A BIT TENSE.
SHE WENT DOWN QUICKER
THAN WE EXPECTED.
NARRATOR: IT'S A RELIEF
FOR EVERYONE
THAT CHAMPA'S BREATHING PROPERLY
AND THEY CAN TAKE HER TO
THE SANCTUARY'S ONSITE CLINIC.
UP ON THERE.
NARRATOR: THE PLAN IS FOR
KEYHOLE SURGERY SPECIALIST
ROMAIN TO IMPLANT A TUBE
THAT WILL RUN
FROM CHAMPA'S BRAIN
DOWN TO HER ABDOMEN.
IT'LL DRAIN AWAY EXCESS FLUID
AS IT BUILDS UP IN HER BRAIN.
HE'LL BE THE FIRST TO TRY TO DO
THIS PROCEDURE ON A BEAR.
I'M CUTTING.
NARRATOR: CHAMPA'S SKIN
IS 3 TIMES THICKER THAN OURS.
IF YOU'RE A BEAR,
YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE
PAPER-THIN SKIN BECAUSE
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE
A CLASH
WITH OTHER BEARS,
BUT IT'S NOT AT ALL
LIKE HUMAN SKIN.
NARRATOR: NOW HE'S
THROUGH CHAMPA'S SKIN,
ROMAIN HAS TO DRILL A TINY HOLE
INTO HER SKULL.
[WHIRRING]
HE HAS TO PROCEED MILLIMETER
BY MILLIMETER WITH IMMENSE CARE.
IF THE DRILL EVEN TOUCHES
CHAMPA'S BRAIN,
SHE COULD DIE ON THE TABLE.
HIS JOB'S MADE
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT
BY THE UNUSUAL SHAPE
OF CHAMPA'S SKULL.
PROCESS GOES
AS NORMAL.
WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE
I DON'T PUNCH THROUGH
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY
BRAIN UNDERNEATH THERE.
IT MAY BE A THINNER SKULL
BECAUSE OF HER HYDROCEPHALUS.
NARRATOR: FOR MIKE,
THE TENSION'S TOO MUCH.
BROCKLEHURST: THIS BIT
I'M NOT GONNA WATCH.
THEY'RE THE EXPERTS.
I'M GONNA LEAVE IT.
I DEARLY DON'T WANT
TO SEE THE NEXT BIT.
NARRATOR:
ROMAIN IS THROUGH.
JUST TO MAKE SURE--
I'M GONNA GO IN NOW.
NARRATOR: NOW HE HAS TO IMPLANT
ONE END OF THE TUBE
INTO A CAVITY IN HER BRAIN
WHERE THE FLUID BUILDS UP.
LET'S GO FOR IT.
OH, THERE'S A LOT OF--
THERE'S LOTS OF FLUID
COMING OUT AROUND THE HOLE,
AND THAT FLUID IS COMING
FROM INSIDE THE BRAIN.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN FEEDS
THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE
DOWN TOWARDS HER ABDOMEN.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: HE'S GOING TO INSERT
AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA
TO FIND IT AND BRING IT DOWN
INTO POSITION.
TO SEE HIS WAY ROUND
WITH THE CAMERA,
ROMAIN NEEDS TO ELECTRONICALLY
INFLATE CHAMPA'S ABDOMEN,
WHICH WILL CREATE MORE SPACE
AROUND HER ORGANS...
THE RIGHT WAY ROUND.
DO SWITCH ON
THE INFLATION.
NARRATOR:
BUT SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.
I THINK THIS
IS SHORTING OUT.
I THINK IT IS.
YEAH, YEAH.
NARRATOR: OUT HERE
IN THE JUNGLE,
THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ELECTRICITY
TO POWER THE VITAL EQUIPMENT.
PIZZI: CAN YOU GET
THE GENERATOR READY?
THE OTHER THING
YOU CAN DO IS SEE
IF YOU CAN PLUG IT DIRECTLY
INTO SOMETHING THERE.
NARRATOR: IF THEY CAN'T
GET THE MACHINE WORKING,
ROMAIN HAS LITTLE CHANCE OF
FINDING THE END OF THE TUBE,
AND EVERY MINUTE THAT CHAMPA'S
UNDER ANESTHETIC
INCREASES THE RISK FACTOR
OF THIS SURGERY.
PIZZI: NO.
IT'S STILL NOT ON.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: THEY'RE GOING
TO HAVE TO IMPROVISE.
PIZZI: GET THE MATTRESS PUMP--
REMEMBER THAT ONE--
AND JUST GET SOME--
STARTED, STEVE.
YEAH, BUT
IT'S FINE NOW.
NARRATOR: THE TEAM'S
ONLY OPTION IS TO TRY
AND INFLATE CHAMPA
WITH AN AIR BED PUMP.
OK. CAN YOU JUST ALL
KEEP QUIET FOR A SECOND?
ARE YOU HAPPY
ON THE GENERATOR?
YEAH.
YOU'RE HAPPY?
SHE'S GOT
ENOUGH OXYGEN
AND SHE'S BREATHING
REALLY WELL ON 100% O2.
YOU CAN PUT ON
THE LIGHT
FOR THE ROOM,
PLEASE.
I'M SORRY. DO YOU WANT
TO PUT THE MATTRESS PUMP
ON FOR A SHORT BURST,
AND YOU NEED
TO KIND OF PUMP AGAIN.
PUFF HER UP AGAIN.
YEAH.
[PUMP WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: INFLATING CHAMPA'S
ABDOMEN WORKS.
PIZZI: THERE COMES
THE TUBES, SEE?
THERE'S OUR STENT
COMING OUT THERE.
NARRATOR:
THERE'S SPACE FOR ROMAIN
TO MOVE THE CAMERA AROUND.
ROMAIN GUIDES THE END
OF THE TUBE INTO POSITION
BETWEEN THE LIVER AND DIAPHRAGM,
WHERE THE FLUID
WILL SAFELY DRAIN OFF
AND BE ABSORBED.
I'LL HAVE A LAST QUICK
LOOK AND REPOSITION.
NARRATOR: THE TUBE
WILL STAY INSIDE CHAMPA
FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.
PIZZI: WE'LL DO THE
EXTERNAL BITS QUICKLY.
I'M ALMOST DONE,
ALMOST DONE, ALMOST DONE.
NARRATOR: AGAINST ALL THE ODDS,
THE OPERATION IS OVER.
CRACKNELL: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE LIKE TO DO
IS JUST LET THEM COME ROUND
AT THEIR OWN PACE.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA PUSH HER.
SHE'S HAD A 6-HOUR ANESTHETIC.
WE JUST WANT HER TO COME AROUND
AT HER OWN STEADY RATE.
[BEEP BEEP BEEP]
HELLO.
ALL RIGHT, DARLING.
OK. YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD,
AREN'T YOU?
NARRATOR: THE NEXT MORNING,
CHAMPA IS BACK ON HER FEET...
BUT IT WILL BE A FEW WEEKS
BEFORE MIKE AND THE TEAM
KNOW IF THE OPERATION'S
BEEN A SUCCESS
AND CHAMPA'S LOOKING
AT A PAIN-FREE LIFE.
GOOD GIRL.
GOOD GIRL, EH?
[DISTANT SIREN]
NARRATOR: IN CHICAGO,
MIKE ADKINSON HAS BEEN
GOING THROUGH THE IMAGES
PRODUCED BY THE SCAN
OF TIARA'S HEAD
TO SEE IF THIS TIGER'S
UNUSUAL NOSEBLEED
WAS THE SIGN OF ANYTHING
MORE SERIOUS.
WE'RE SEEING THE FRONT TEETH
COME INTO VIEW,
CANINE TEETH COMING
INTO VIEW HERE.
NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO SOME
OF THE NASAL PASSAGEWAYS.
IF WERE TO SEE A MASS
OR ANYTHING IN THIS AREA,
WE'D LOSE A LOT OF THIS,
AND WE WOULD JUST HAVE
A VERY SOLID STRUCTURE
WITH NONE OF THESE LITTLE,
FINE FOLDS OF TISSUE IN THERE.
NARRATOR:
IT'S GOOD NEWS FOR TIARA.
ADKINSON: I THINK WE'RE--
WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE HERE.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING
THAT WE'RE SEEING
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
SO THE BLOOD WE WERE SEEING FROM
THE NOSE WAS PROBABLY JUST A--
YOU KNOW, A INCIDENTAL FINDING,
SO TO SAY, THAT, YOU KNOW,
SHE HAD SOME SORT OF TRAUMATIC
EVENT OR BUMPED HER NOSE
OR JUST HAD A NOSEBLEED FOR KIND
OF AN UNKNOWN REASON, EVEN,
BUT THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
ANYTHING CONCERNING
AS A LONG-TERM PROBLEM HERE.
NARRATOR: WITH THE POPULATION
OF AMUR TIGERS CRITICALLY LOW,
IT'S A RELIEF FOR EVERYONE
THAT ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS
DEVELOPED FOR HUMANS
HAS HELPED TIARA AVOID
A RISKY AND INVASIVE
SURGICAL PROCEDURE.
[BELLOWS]
NARRATOR: IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS
SINCE NINIO HAD
HIS LAST DENTAL OPERATION.
SOUTH AFRICAN VETS
ADRIAN TORDIFFE
AND GERHARD STEENKAMP
HAVE COME BACK TO POLAND TO TRY
AND REMOVE THE TUSK
THAT, LAST TIME, DEFEATED THEM.
HELLO, BOY.
NARRATOR: NINIO'S INFECTION
HAS MADE HIS TUSK SO DEFORMED,
GERHARD HAS SPENT
THE LAST FEW MONTHS DEVELOPING
EVEN MORE SPECIALIZED TOOLS
TO TRY AND GET IT OUT.
STEENKAMP: THESE ARE THE CUTTERS
THAT I'VE HAD MADE.
THEY MADE ME A VERY NICE CHISEL
HERE IN POLAND.
OH, YES. IT CAN SPLIT--
SPLIT THE BONE APART.
YEP.
NARRATOR: THIS IS GOING TO BE
AN EVEN MORE EXTREME OPERATION
THAN THE LAST,
BUT IT'S NINIO'S ONLY CHANCE.
THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF PUS
STILL COMING OUT OF IT,
BUT IT'S CLEAN IN TERMS
OF NO PARASITES,
NO MAGGOTS,OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
THERE'S LITTLE BITS
OF MOVEMENT ON SOME
OF THESE TUSK PIECES,
WHICH COULD BE POSITIVE.
NARRATOR: GERHARD HOPES THAT
IF HE STARTS BY HOLLOWING OUT
THE CENTER OF THE TUSK,
HE'LL THEN BE ABLE
TO REMOVE THE OUTER PIECES
MORE EASILY...
JUST CHANGING
HANDLES
SO WE CAN GET
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
[WHIRRING]
NARRATOR: BUT THE IVORY IS TOO
TOUGH, EVEN FOR THE NEW TOOLS.
COME A BIT MORE,
PLEASE.
NARRATOR: GERHARD DECIDES
THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY
TO REMOVE THIS TUSK.
HE'S GOING TO TRY
AND PULL IT OUT
WITH THE HELP OF A COME-ALONG.
AH. ALL RIGHT.
NARRATOR: THE TUSK
IS LIKE A PIPE.
IT'S ONLY STRONG
WHEN IT'S INTACT.
SO ONCE THE FIRST PIECE
IS OUT...
GO, GO, GO, GO, GO.
NARRATOR: THE OTHERS FOLLOW.
YES!
STEENKAMP: RELIEVED,
ABSOLUTELY RELIEVED.
IT'S FEELING NICE
AND SMOOTH IN THERE,
NO BONE FRAGMENTS,
WHICH IS GREAT.
THERE'S NO MORE IVORY LEFT,
AND...
THINGS ARE LOOKING
REALLY GOOD.
NOW GERHARD CAN CLEAR AWAY
THE MASSIVE INFECTION
THAT WAS TRAPPED
BEHIND THE TUSK...
AND AFTER 3 HOURS,
THE OPERATION'S OVER.
NINIO BEGINS TO COME AROUND...
AND GERHARD GETS A LOOK AT THE
TUSK THAT SO NEARLY BEAT HIM.
NOW, NORMALLY, THE TUSK
WILL BE NICE, EVENLY SHAPED,
AND AT THE LIP,
THE CIRCUMFERENCE AT THE LIP
AND THE CIRCUMFERENCE AT
THE BACK WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR.
IN HERE, WE CAN SEE THAT THIS
WAS THE BACK PIECE, ENORMOUS,
AND IT IS MISSHAPEN.
NARRATOR: THE ABNORMAL SHAPE
OF THE TUSK SHOWS
JUST HOW CRUCIAL IT WAS
THAT GERHARD TOOK IT OUT.
THE NEXT DAY, THE VETS
CHECK IN ON NINIO.
STEENKAMP: ACTUALLY,
IT'S QUITE REMARKABLE,
AND NOW THAT
HIS TRUNK IS UP,
I CAN LOOK INTO
HIS EMPTY ALVEOLUS,
AND THERE'S
JUST ABOUT NOTHING...
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT OF IT.
MAN: REALLY NICE
AND CLEAN.
HE'S EATING QUITE WELL
AND MOVING AROUND WELL.
NARRATOR:
THE INFECTION HAS GONE,
AND WITH THE TUSK REMOVED,
IT WON'T RETURN,
AND NINIO WILL SOON
BE OUT OF PAIN
AND ABLE TO REJOIN
THE OTHER ELEPHANTS.
FOR BIG-ANIMAL VETS,
EVERY PATIENT COMES
WITH UNIQUE CHALLENGES.
GIANT TORTOISES
FROM THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
IN SOUTH AMERICA MOVE SO SLOWLY
THAT THEIR MAIN PROTECTION
AGAINST PREDATORS
IS THEIR SHELL.
MADE OF BONE, THE SHELL IS PART
OF THE TORTOISE'S SKELETON,
ENCASING ALL THEIR INTERNAL
ORGANS, BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM.
IT MAKES THEM INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT TO TREAT.
AS PART OF A PROGRAM
TO TRY AND PROTECT
THIS CRITICALLY
ENDANGERED SPECIES,
LONDON ZOO IN ENGLAND
IS CURRENTLY HOME
TO 5 GALAPAGOS TORTOISES...
BUT ONE OF THEM IS SICK
AND HAS BEEN TAKEN
TO THE ZOO'S HOSPITAL.
PRISCILLA?
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: 18-YEAR-OLD PRISCILLA
HASN'T EATEN FOR WEEKS.
THE VETERINARY TEAM HERE
HAVE HAD TO INSERT
A FEEDING TUBE
TO KEEP HER ALIVE.
NORMALLY TORTOISES
GRAZE ALL THE TIME,
AND IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT SHE STOPPED DOING.
IT WAS OBVIOUS
FROM HER WEIGHT LOSS
AND THE FACT SHE WAS REALLY
KIND OF DOWN IN THE DUMPS
THAT SHE REALLY
WASN'T VERY WELL AT ALL.
NARRATOR: TORTOISES
OFTEN HAVE LIVER PROBLEMS.
SO THEY'RE WORRIED
THAT COULD BE THE CAUSE
OF PRISCILLA'S ILLNESS,
BUT THE DIFFICULTY
IS GETTING TO THE LIVER
TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG.
SINCE HER SHELL IS HER SKELETON,
IT WOULD BE TOO RISKY
AND PAINFUL
TO BREAK THROUGH IT
TO EXAMINE HER.
INSTEAD, THEY'VE CALLED IN THE
SAME KEYHOLE SURGERY SPECIALIST
WHO OPERATED ON CHAMPA THE MOON
BEAR TO SEE IF HE CAN HELP.
PIZZI: TORTOISE HAS BEEN ILL,
BUT IT'S DIFFICULT
TO PIECE EVERYTHING TOGETHER
AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THE EASIEST WAY
IS TO LOOK AT THE ORGANS.
WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO
IS DIAGNOSTIC SURGERY,
SO KEYHOLE SURGERY, TINY CUT.
WE'LL PUT IN A SURGICAL
TELESCOPE CALLED AN ENDOSCOPE,
HAVE A REALLY GOOD LOOK
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE,
AND, IF NECESSARY
AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABNORMAL,
TAKE A BIOPSY.
NARRATOR: THE ONLY PLACE ROMAIN
CAN GET ACCESS TO HER ORGANS
IS THROUGH THE SOFT SKIN
AT THE TOP OF HER BACK LEG,
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY.
ROMAIN CAN'T INFLATE PRISCILLA
LIKE HE DID CHAMPA.
PIZZI: YEAH. GO BACK A BIT.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US, YEAH?
PIZZI, VOICE-OVER:
SO THE TORTOISE IS IN A BIG BOX.
THAT MAKES GETTING INSIDE
REALLY DIFFICULT.
IN A PERSON OR MOST ANIMALS,
WE'D ACTUALLY PUFF THEM UP
WITH CARBON DIOXIDE,
AND THAT MAKES, LIKE, A TENT
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
WITH A TORTOISE,
IT'S GOT A RIGID TENT.
SO IT'S QUITE DIFFICULT
TO NAVIGATE AROUND
AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO SEE.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN HASN'T
TRIED THIS PROCEDURE
ON A TORTOISE
OF PRISCILLA'S SIZE BEFORE...
JUST BE VERY CAREFUL.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA
LET HER DO THAT, YEAH?
PIZZI: OK. SCOPE IN.
NARRATOR: AND HIS PLAN TO GET
THE BIOPSY FALLS THROUGH
BEFORE HE CAN EVEN BEGIN.
AN ULTRASOUND REVEALS
HER BLADDER'S COMPLETELY FULL,
BLOCKING HIS PATH.
PIZZI: MY MAIN RISK
IS STICKING AN ENDOSCOPE IN,
GOING INTO THE BODY, AND
ACTUALLY PUNCTURING THE BLADDER.
THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY
DON'T WANT TO DO, SO--
NARRATOR: ROMAIN DECIDES
THE ONLY WAY HE CAN GET
TO THE LIVER WITHOUT
DAMAGING HER BLADDER
IS TO TIP PRISCILLA
ONTO HER SIDE.
I'M HOPING
WHAT WE'LL DO IS,
ONCE YOU TILT HER
AND WE MAKE A NEST,
THINGS WILL FALL DOWN,
AND SO YOU'LL HAVE
A SAFE SPACE THERE
TO GO IN.
CAN YOU GET US
TWO MORE CHAIRS
AND TIE THEM
TOGETHER?
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
RIGHT. SO EXPLAIN.
SO THE CHAIRS--
TURN HER LATERAL, AND THAT
IS, IN ESSENCE A CRADLE.
1, 2, 3. GOOD GOD.
I'LL GET
THE LEGS.
NARRATOR:
PRISCILLA WEIGHS 150 KILOS,
AND IF THEY CRACK
OR DAMAGE HER SHELL,
IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO HEAL.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: WITH PRISCILLA
LYING ON HER SIDE,
ROMAIN CAN GET IN THROUGH THE
SOFT SKIN AT THE TOP OF HER LEG.
SHE'S BEEN ANAESTHETIZED
FOR AN HOUR AND
10 MINUTES NOW, GUYS.
NARRATOR: NOW HE CAN
TRY AND GET THE BIOPSY.
PIZZI:...HOW ELSE
TO DO THINGS.
NARRATOR: ROMAIN
MAKES TWO INCISIONS--
ONE FOR THE ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA
AND ONE FOR THE INSTRUMENT
THAT HE'LL TAKE THE SAMPLE WITH.
HE HAS TO MAKE HIS WAY CAREFULLY
TOWARDS HER LIVER.
PIZZI: THAT BLADDER
IS ABSOLUTELY HUGE
AND SUSTAINED.
WHAT IS INTERESTING
IS, THE LENGTH
OF THE INSTRUMENTS I'M
USING IS WHAT THEY CALL
BARI-- BARIATRIC
INSTRUMENTS, WHICH IS
WHAT THEY USE
IN VERY FAT PEOPLE.
SO THEY'RE EXTRA LENGTH,
AND THEY'RE JUST--
THE WHOLE LENGTH
OF THE INSTRUMENT
IS DISAPPEARING
INSIDE THE TORTOISE,
AND IT'S STILL NOT--
STILL NOT GETTING FAR.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S SHELL
MEANS THERE'S VERY LITTLE ROOM
FOR HIM TO MANEUVER.
IF YOU LOOK, IT'S LIKE
FIGHTING WITH CHOPSTICKS
INSIDE THIS TORTOISE.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
NARRATOR: FINALLY, HE MAKES IT.
PIZZI: THIS IS THE LIVER.
THIS-- THIS WHOLE STRUCTURE
HERE IS LIVER.
WE'RE ONLY JUST SEEING THE EDGE.
HER LIVER'S NOT PRETTY.
I WOULD SAY, TO ME, THAT DOESN'T
LOOK NORMAL FOR MOST REPTILES.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S LIVER
IS A MUCH LIGHTER COLOR
THAN IT SHOULD BE,
CONFIRMING THEIR SUSPICIONS.
PIZZI: GOT A REASONABLE
PIECE THERE.
WE'LL TAKE A COUPLE
FROM THAT TIP.
I'LL GET THEM AROUND.
NARRATOR: HE SNIPS A TINY SAMPLE
WHICH WILL NOW BE SENT
TO THE ZOO'S LABORATORY
TO BE ANALYZED.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
HE? DON'T WANT IT IN
ANYMORE, DO YOU?
NARRATOR: AN HOUR LATER,
PRISCILLA'S AWAKE.
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: A WEEK LATER,
THE RESULTS OF THE BIOPSY REVEAL
THAT PRISCILLA HAS A CHRONIC
CONDITION CALLED FATTY LIVER.
IT'S TRIGGERED BY NOT EATING
AND MEANS THE LIVER
STARTS PROCESSING FATS
ABNORMALLY, WHICH CAN BE FATAL.
GOOD GIRL.
NARRATOR: IN PRISCILLA,
THEY CAUGHT IT JUST IN TIME,
AND BY FEEDING HER
A NUTRIENT-RICH, LIQUID DIET
THROUGH THE TUBE,
MATT AND THE TEAM
MANAGED TO REVERSE THE DAMAGE,
AND NOW PRISCILLA'S BACK
EATING ON HER OWN.
MATT: SHE'S INTERACTING
WITH US MUCH MORE.
SHE'S JUST PLEASED TO SEE US NOW
AND COMES OVER
AND ENJOYS A FUSS,
AND PHYSICALLY, SHE'S MUCH,
MUCH STRONGER NOW.
SHE CAN STAND UP NOW.
YEAH. WE'RE REALLY PLEASED
WITH HER PROGRESS.
IT'S BEEN A VERY REWARDING
NURSING CASE.
NARRATOR: PRISCILLA'S
PROTECTIVE SHELL MADE HER
A MORE CHALLENGING PATIENT
THAN MANY,
BUT ROMAIN'S KEYHOLE SURGERY
AND THE CARE OF THE TEAM HERE
MEANS A FEW WEEKS LATER,
SHE'S WELL ENOUGH
TO BE RETURNED TO HER ENCLOSURE.
WE'VE SEEN 21st-CENTURY
VETERINARY MEDICINE
IN ACTION AROUND THE WORLD.
HERE IN FLORIDA, IT'S COMING
TO THE RESCUE OF AN ANIMAL
THAT'S BEEN AROUND
SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
ALLIGATORS ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST
CREATURES ON THE PLANET
AND HAVE BEEN LIVING IN SWAMPS,
LIKE THE EVERGLADES
NATIONAL PARK,
FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS.
THEY HAVE A BODY SHAPE THAT
WORKS WELL ON LAND AND IN WATER
AND CAN MOVE AT AMAZING SPEEDS
WHEN THEY NEED TO,
ALTHOUGH THEY STAY MOTIONLESS
WAITING FOR PREY
FOR MOST OF THE TIME.
THESE OPPORTUNISTIC PREDATORS
HAVE A FEARSOME REPUTATION
FOR MOST PEOPLE...
BUT NOT BOB FRIER.
HE'S BEEN RESCUING GATORS IN
NEED OF HELP FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
FRIER: I ACTUALLY GOT MY FIRST
ALLIGATOR BACK IN 1956.
MY FATHER ACTUALLY WENT
INTO A GAS STATION, CAME OUT,
AND, UH, JUST THREW A LITTLE
ALLIGATOR HATCHLING
IN THE BACK SEAT WITH ME.
UH, WHEN I WENT TO GRAB IT,
IT ACTUALLY GRABBED ME
BY THE FINGER,
AND THAT KIND OF STARTED
THE LOVE RELATIONSHIP
THAT I HAVE WITH ALLIGATORS.
[POP POP]
NARRATOR: BOB'S MOST RECENT
ARRIVAL IS MARTHA, WHO HE FOUND
SUFFERING FROM WHAT LOOKS LIKE
A CHRONIC INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE.
SHE HAS SWALLOWED SOMETHING THAT
HAS BASICALLY BLOCKED HER UP.
YOU CAN SEE HOW DISTENDED HER
STOMACH IS TO THE POINT
TO WHERE ALMOST YOU CAN'T
SEE THE PATTERNS
IN HER HIDE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S STRETCHED SO MUCH, SHE'S
JUST VERY UNCOMFORTABLE-LOOKING.
NARRATOR: THE OTHER ALLIGATORS
HAVE A SLEEK, AQUADYNAMIC SHAPE,
PERFECT FOR SWIMMING,
BUT MARTHA IS UNABLE
TO SUBMERGE HER BODY
BENEATH THE SURFACE.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW
WHAT CAUSED MARTHA'S BLOCKAGE...
BUT IT'S SO SEVERE THAT HER GUT
COULD RUPTURE AT ANY MOMENT.
THEY NEED TO GET HER TO A VET.
ALTHOUGH ALLIGATORS
HAVE ONE OF THE STRONGEST
DOWNWARD BITE PRESSURES
IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM,
THE MUSCLES USED TO OPEN THE JAW
CAN EFFECTIVELY BE DISABLED
WITH JUST TWO FINGERS
OR A BIT OF INSULATION TAPE.
MARTHA WILL BE EXAMINED
BY VET DR. DOUG MADER.
[MEOW]
HELLO.
HE'S ALSO A WORLD-RENOWNED
REPTILE SPECIALIST.
MADER; HEY, BOB,
WHO DO WE GOT HERE?
UH, WELL, WE'VE
NAMED HER MARTHA,
AND BASICALLY--
YOU CAN TELL
FROM THE DISTENDED
STOMACH THERE--
SHE'S NOT FEELING
VERY GOOD.
SHE'S NOT FEELING GOOD.
SHE'S REALLY BLOATED.
ALL RIGHT, KIDDO. YOU'RE
AT THE RIGHT PLACE.
MADER: SO WHAT
WE'RE GONNA DO IS,
WE'RE GONNA TRY
AND GIVE HER A LOOK-OVER.
SHE IS PACKED.
MOST LIKELY,
SHE'S PROBABLY SWALLOWED
SOMETHING SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO.
SO WE'LL TAKE HER IN AND HAVE
THE NURSES GET THE X-RAYS.
OK.
NARRATOR: THE X-RAYS REVEAL
JUST HOW UNWELL MARTHA IS.
THIS IS HER
STOMACH HERE,
AND THESE
LARGE MASSES
ARE NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE THERE.
YOU CAN SEE,
THE PELVIS IS HERE,
AND EVEN THE SMALLER
OF THE MASSES,
THEY'D NEVER FIT
THROUGH THE PELVIS.
NARRATOR: MARTHA'S ONLY HOPE
IS SURGERY TO REMOVE
THESE BLOCKAGES.
MADER: WE'RE USING, UH,
21st-CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
TO SAVE AN ANIMAL THAT'S BEEN
AROUND SINCE THE DINOSAURS.
OH, ARE WE READY?
ALL SET.
OK. HERE WE GO.
NARRATOR: AT LAST,
DOUG CAN FIND OUT
WHAT'S CAUSING
MARTHA'S BLOCKED GUT.
HE'S USING A THERMAL SCALPEL
WHICH CAUTERIZES
THE INCISION AS HE CUTS
AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT
OF BLEEDING.
MADER: SHE MAY JUMP.
SHE'S NOT AWAKE.
THAT'S NORMAL FOR
SORT OF ABDOMINAL MUSCLES.
NARRATOR: DOUG SEES IMMEDIATELY
THAT THINGS
ARE MUCH WORSE
THAN HE WAS EXPECTING.
MADER: WHAT I NEED TO DO IS
FIGURE OUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
NARRATOR: HE DISCOVERS THAT
MARTHA'S GUTS
HAD BECOME SO INFLAMED
THAT THEY ARE SCARRED
AND STUCK TOGETHER...
BUT HE MANAGES TO SEPARATE OUT
ONE OF THE HUGE LUMPS
HE SAW ON THE X-RAY.
MADER: SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
HERE, THIS IS THE LARGE COLON,
AND NORMALLY, IT'S
THE SIZE OF MY THUMB.
IF WE OPEN THIS UP,
IT'S GONNA GET REALLY UGLY.
WE'RE GONNA NEED SEVERAL PAIRS
OF GLOVES HERE TO--
OH, YUCK. OK.
NOW I NEED THE, UM, BUCKET.
WOMAN:
WHAT IS THAT?
NARRATOR: THE TEAM
HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING
WHAT CAUSED MARTHA'S
INITIAL BLOCKAGE,
BUT THE AMOUNT OF WASTE
IN HER GUT
SUGGESTS SHE'S BEEN ILL
FOR MONTHS.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE
LOOKING AT ON THE X-RAY,
JUST BALLS AND BALLS
OF ALLIGATOR FECES.
NARRATOR: VERY FEW ANIMALS
COULD SURVIVE FOR THIS LONG
WITH THIS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE,
BUT ALLIGATORS HAVE EVOLVED
TO HAVE VERY STRONG
IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
MADER: BOB, COME OVER MY LEFT
SHOULDER JUST SO YOU CAN SEE.
THIS IS YOUR ANIMAL.
HMM.
BUT THE WHOLE PELVIS
IS SCARRED OVER.
THERE'S NO CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE COLON
WHERE ALL THE FECES WERE
AND THE OUTSIDE.
YEAH.
BOB, I HATE TO SAY THIS,
BUT I THINK--
WE MADE A TRY.
NARRATOR: NO AMOUNT OF SURGERY
CAN HELP MARTHA.
MADER: SO WE'LL
PUT HER TO SLEEP.
WE'LL EUTHANIZE HER
BEFORE SHE WAKES UP,
NOT THE WAY WE
WANTED IT TO END,
BUT IT'S PART OF OUR JOB
AS VETERINARIANS.
SHE'S GONE.
****
****
SORRY, BOB.
YEP.
I KNOW YOU CARE
ABOUT YOUR ANIMALS.
I'M SO SORRY.
FRIER: I WOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN ABLE NOT TO TRY.
I MEAN WE-- WE HAD
TO GIVE IT A TRY, UM,
AND I WAS HOPING FOR BETTER
RESULTS THAN THIS.
UM...
NARRATOR:
MARTHA WAS JUST TOO ILL
FOR DOUG AND BOB TO SAVE HER...
BUT THEIR EFFORTS HAVE AT LEAST
PUT AN END TO HER SUFFERING.
[BIRD SQUAWKING]
IN LAOS, IT'S BEEN 6 MONTHS
SINCE CHAMPA THE MOON BEAR
HAD KEYHOLE BRAIN SURGERY.
BROCKLEHURST: I'VE JUST
PUT TOGETHER A FEW BRANCHES
FOR CHAMPA.
SHE JUST LIKES ANYTHING NEW
THAT COMES INTO THE ENCLOSURE
JUST TO CHECK IT OUT,
BUT SHE PARTICULARLY LIKES
THE BANANA TREE OR ANYTHING
WITH SOME LEAFY BRANCHES
BECAUSE SHE--
THEY'RE QUITE DESTRUCTIVE.
SHE LOVES TO JUST SIT THERE
AND BREAK IT UP.
CHAMPA, CHAMPA,
COME ON, GIRL.
NARRATOR: THE TUBE WHICH RUNS
FROM CHAMPA'S BRAIN
DOWN TO HER ABDOMEN
MEANS EXCESS FLUID
IS NO LONGER BUILDING UP THERE.
HAVING THIS OPERATION
HAS, YOU KNOW,
TRANSFORMED HER WHOLE LIFE.
SHE'S GONE FROM A BEAR WHICH
WAS VIRTUALLY 24 HOURS A DAY
IN TERRIBLE PAIN, AND SHE
HAD NO QUALITY OF LIFE.
SHE, YOU KNOW--
SHE COULD HARDLY EAT,
SHE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN,
BUT SINCE THEN, SHE'S--
SHE'S A DIFFERENT BEAR.
SHE'D NEVER DO THIS BEFORE.
SHE NEVER EVEN HAVE HER HEAD UP.
NARRATOR: WHILE CHAMPA
WILL NEVER BE ABLE
TO LIVE WITH THE OTHER BEARS,
MIKE'S SEEN A HUGE CHANGE
IN HER BEHAVIOR...
YEAH. WHAT IS THAT?
OOH, CHEEKY BEAR.
OOH, CHEEKY BEAR.
THIS IS HOW BEARS
PLAY WITH EACH OTHER.
THEY LIKE TO MOUTH EACH OTHER
AND SWIPE EACH OTHER.
YOU, YOU'RE A BAD GIRL.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
[CLICKS TONGUE]
NARRATOR: AND HE HOPES CHAMPA
WILL GO ON TO LEAD A FULL LIFE
FREE FROM THE PAIN THAT HAD
TORMENTED HER FOR SO LONG.
YOU'RE A HONEY BEAR.
YOU'RE A GOOD BEAR,
AREN'T YOU?
YOU'RE A GOOD BEAR,
THOUGH,
YOU, YOU, YOU.
NARRATOR: AROUND THE WORLD,
MANY ANIMALS FACE
GREAT CHALLENGES
TO THEIR SURVIVAL...
BUT ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS,
INNOVATIVE SURGERY,
AND THE DEDICATION OF VETS
MEANS WE CAN NOW CARE FOR THEM
IN WAYS WE NEVER COULD BEFORE.