Wildlife park staff faced a huge challenge when a much-adored brown bear was suffering with a bad case of toothache.

Fluff was rescued by Wildwood - between Canterbury and Herne Bay - five years ago and is described as a “popular star” at the site.

Watch: Fluff having dental work at Wildwood

The huge beast needed root canal treatment and also had two small teeth removed while put under anaesthesia.

Malnutrition in the first part of his life caused the poor condition of his teeth.

Surgery on a 600 pound bear is a significant procedure and much can go wrong, so the trust hired expert zoo dentist Peter Kertesz to carry out the work last Friday.

He is one of the leading animal dentistry experts and has completed similar procedures across the world.

The successful three hour procedure took place at the park in the bears’ quarantine area.

Fluff lived the first 15 years of his life under appalling conditions in a canned hunting facility in Bulgaria, before being rescued in 2014 and brought to Wildwood Trust.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “The 21-year-old Eurasian brown bear is recovering well and is relieved to be rid of his toothache.”

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