Student meets only bear in UK to have same brain surgery as him

An East Kent Colleges (EKC) Group student has met the only European Brown Bear to have undergone the same brain surgery as him.

Piers Weigh, who studies Level 2 Animal Management at EKC Canterbury College, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was just over a year old.

The condition meant Piers needed surgery for a shunt to be put into his brain so that the excess fluid could be drained.

However, in 2019 he started to feel poorly again with headaches and sickness. As his eyesight started to deteriorate, it was found that Piers’ shunt had malfunctioned, and the fluid was not draining correctly.

Subsequently, Piers underwent another operation to repair the shunt, and within three months, the keen rugby player was back on the pitch.

The original operation that Piers underwent is the same one that European Brown Bear Boki had six weeks ago.

Boki, who lives at Wildwood Trust in Canterbury, was the first of his kind to have an MRI scan which led to his diagnosis of hydrocephalus, and last week, he and Piers met for the first time.

During his visit to Wildwood, Piers got to hand-feed Boki.

Piers said: “It’s been amazing and a really good experience – getting to feed him and get so close to him. When I was feeding him, he was so gentle. He was only using the front of his lips to take the food.

“My Granny was telling me about Boki and how he’d had the same surgery as me, so I searched a bit more about it and found out he was at Wildwood.

“For a bear to have had the same surgery as me is just weird, but it’s also pretty cool.”

Piers added that despite his condition, he lives a normal life and has not let it stop him.

“I’m a normal kid apart from when I was ill. My life is as normal as any other person,” he said.

“I play rugby which really helps me too, and my college course has been great.”

A spokesperson from Wildwood Trust said: “When we got Boki’s diagnosis, we hoped that through his story we would be able to raise awareness of hydrocephalus and help those who have had a similar diagnosis. It’s wonderful to see how our charismatic young bear has inspired a nation and encouraged people like Piers to share their own experience with the condition. 

“It was a pleasure to welcome Piers to Wildwood and to watch Boki interact with a fellow hydro-warrior! We hope he’ll come back and see us again soon.”

They added that Boki is making good progress following his surgery six weeks ago.