Red panda manages to make tooth removal look adorable

WORDS BYLINE: Hayley Chamberlain / An adorable red panda was given a full-body MOT by vets after keepers noticed he had gone off his food. / Bruce, who lives at Edinburgh Zoo, was placed under general anaesthetic so veterinary staff could investigate what was troubling him. / Keepers had become concerned after spotting a change in his appetite and called in the zoo s veterinary team to give him a thorough check-up. / But staff at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which runs the zoo, were relieved to discover that Bruce was otherwise in good health - and the culprit was simply a poorly tooth. / Vets removed the troublesome tooth while Bruce was under anaesthetic before carrying out a full health examination to make sure there were no other problems. / The red panda was subsequently given a clean bill of health and has now returned to his habitat. / Bruce is said to be back to his usual routine and can once again be spotted exploring his enclosure in search of bamboo or snoozing among the tre

An adorable red panda has undergone full-body anaesthesia after worried keepers noticed he stopped eating his food.

Bruce was placed under general anaesthetic when staff at Edinburgh Zoo became concerned about his loss of appetite.

But vets were relieved to discover that the 11-year-old’s only problem was a sore tooth.

The troublesome tooth was removed before Bruce was given a complete health check to make sure nothing else was wrong.

Pictures show the endangered animal lying on a veterinary table while connected to monitoring equipment. He was given a clean bill of health and has now returned to his habitat.

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Story from Jam Press (Red Panda Cub) Pictured: Video grab: The eight-week old red panda cub. PICTURES: Endangered eight-week-old RED PANDA cub pops head out of BUCKET in adorable new snaps This adorable endangered red panda cub has been pictured popping his head out of a bucket as he reaches two months old. The tiny male was born earlier this year to experienced mum Emma and first-time dad Koda. Keepers carried out his first health check with the park?s vet and confirmed the youngster is thriving, as reported by What's The Jam. Samantha Peeke, Animal Adventure Keeper at Longleat, Wiltshire, said: ?Our gorgeous red panda cub is now two months old and is doing really well. ?We did our first health check with the vet to make sure the cub was healthy and we discovered we?ve got a little boy. ?He doesn?t have a name quite yet, but we hope to announce it in the next couple of weeks.? The youngster will undergo regular weigh-ins and health checks as he grows. And visitors should soon have a better chance of spotting him as he begins venturing out by himself. Peeke added: ?Now that our red panda cub is growing up, he?ll start coming out and about more independently. ?Red Pandas are an endangered species with only around 2,500 thought to be left in the wild and their habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate. ?Any births we have, contributes to the European Breeding programme and we hope this little cub will go on to have a really important role in the future of the species.? The youngster?s arrival forms part of the European breeding programme aimed at protecting the future of the species. Longleat also raises money for the Red Panda Network, which works to protect red pandas and their habitat. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Non-Exclusive Licence: A non-exclusive licence has been obtained directly from the verified copyright holder. The copyright holder retains the ability to license the content elsewhere.

Bruce is once again exploring in search of bamboo and taking naps high in the trees.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said: ‘Edinburgh Zoo placed red panda Bruce under general anaesthetic for a health check-up after keepers noticed he was off his food.

‘On closer inspection, vets at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland were happy to discover that his only problem was a poorly tooth. Vets removed the tooth and gave Bruce a full-body MOT to make sure he was otherwise well.

Bruce was born in 2015 and arrived at Edinburgh Zoo the following year.

He is now the zoo’s only red panda and is also the grandfather of three-year-old Priya.

Priya moved from Edinburgh to the Highland Wildlife Park in March this year, where she has since been joined by one-year-old male Flyn.

Keepers hope the pair will eventually produce cubs as part of efforts to protect the endangered species.

Despite their shared name, red pandas are not closely related to giant pandas.

The animals belong to their own family, known as Ailuridae, and are more closely related to raccoons, skunks and weasels.

The tree-dwelling animals are excellent climbers and spend much of their time sleeping on branches.

The species is classed as endangered, with its population continuing to fall because of threats including deforestation, habitat loss and poaching.

Fewer than 10,000 are believed to remain in the wild.

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