Winston, OR — A grizzly bear from Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR, is recovering after having knee surgery.
Staff at the Wildlife Safari said that Victor, the grizzly bear, had to have surgery after he tore a cruciate ligament that caused him to limp.
According to staff, if the keepers hadn’t had noticed the limp his quality of life would have rapidly deteriorated. The staff said that it is similar to a torn ACL in a human.
Victor is a 9-year-old bear that weighs 800 pounds. He came to Wildlife Safari in 2006, along with two other orphaned cubs, Mak & Oso who all live together as “brothers.” Victor and his pals have an expected life span in the wild of 25 years, but can live up to 50 years in captivity.
As you might imagine, knee surgery in bears is extremely rare. The surgery was done by Wildlife Veterinarian staff and Dr. Micheal Van Anrooy who is an Orthopedic Surgeon with Umpqua Orthopedics.
Wildlife Safari staff said that Victor will heal while in his usual hibernation this winter, reportedKPTV.
