Emotional footage shows a brown bear recovering with his keepers following a UK-first brain operation.

Two-year-old Boki, who lives at Wildwood Trust between Canterbury and Herne Bay, was diagnosed with a condition called hydrocephalus earlier this year.

Having been suffering from seizures and other health-related issues, an MRI scan in April revealed he had a build-up of fluid in his brain.

It led to him undergoing a five-and-a-half-hour operation on Wednesday, which keepers later said "had gone to plan".

The animal centre has now released heart-warming footage of Boki recovering from the surgery, including of him sleeping and being fed by keepers.

Meanwhile, specialist wildlife surgeon Romain Pizzi - who is the only person to have performed brain surgery on a bear before - carried out the operation and says he is hopeful Boki's future is now bright

He explained: "He is a very trusting, friendly and personable bear - there’s a little bit of goofy about him and he’s a real character.

“We all really want him to do well and are keeping our fingers crossed.

"He was a little bit sorry for himself, but any animal is going to have some discomfort after an op but he’s bright, alert and very mentally active.

“He’s taken his medication [too} and so far so good.”

Mr Pizzi says there are still some hurdles for Boki to overcome.

“The first one is we have made a little hole in the skull and put the shunt into the brain, but no matter how careful we are there’s always a risk bacteria from the air or something can get in that wound,” he said.

“If he rubs it in the first few days he could get an infection going into the brain which would be very serious.

“Considering some of the other medication he’s on, that would suppress his immunity and can predispose him to an infection, so that’s the thing which worries us most for the next week.

“This kind of surgery, even in children, can be variable - some do brilliantly but some can have problems and need other surgeries - so it’s a waiting game."

Wildwood's animal behaviour management officer, Becky Copland, added: “It is a little emotional. He’s been through so much.

“I’m immensely proud of the whole bear team and the wider staff at Wildwood.

“It’s really nice having people message and check in and know everyone cares.”

Speaking earlier this week, Wildwood said Boki "would not survive through the winter" had the surgery not been completed.

However, despite Mr Pizzi volunteering his time and team to the project, the surgery and its immediate aftercare for Boki is expected to cost £20,000.

It is also hoped his surgery will be a one-off procedure.

While Boki will gain weight following the operation, the team at Wildwood is confident that his overall body length will not change significantly.

Boki was adopted by the park as a 10-month old cub.

Having been rejected by his mother at just 10 weeks, he was hand-reared at Port Lympne Safari Park near Hythe.

However, he needed a new home where he could have the space to play, explore and other ears to teach him natural bear behaviours, and was transferred to Wildwood.