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By Filipa Gaspar

A popular zoo bear with 'terminal cancer' and given just days to live has stunned experts by going into remission, through medicine taken in honey.

Edinburgh Zoo性视界传媒檚 13-year-old sun bear, Babu, was being 'made comfortable' for her last days, with her bleak diagnosis announced publicly to her supporters.

Only one similar case was found with a bear in China, which died quickly after and little hope was given for Babu's future.

The bear is a popular resident at the zoo, loved by visitors for her curious personality and her remarkable recovery has been met with widespread celebrations.

And vets said one of the sweetest parts of Babu性视界传媒檚 treatment has been how well she性视界传媒檚 taken her medication, thanks to it being hidden in honey 性视界传媒� her absolute favourite.

Normally saved for special occasions, honey is a rare treat in a sun bear性视界传媒檚 diet, but it became part of her twice-daily routine during recovery.

The only downside to her remission, keepers joke, is that Babu won性视界传媒檛 be getting her beloved honey quite as often anymore.

Professor Simon Girling, head of veterinary services at RZSS, said, 性视界传媒淲e性视界传媒檙e delighted that Babu has responded so positively to the medication, especially as we were in uncharted territory.

性视界传媒淲ith confirmation of remission, we性视界传媒檝e been able to stop her pain medication, and are now gradually reducing her cancer treatment while closely monitoring her condition.性视界传媒�

Dr. Girling added: 性视界传媒淭his news is better than we ever hoped for, but it wasn性视界传媒檛 what we expected and there性视界传媒檚 always a possibility that the cancer could return.

"For now, what matters most is that Babu is happy, healthy and back to her old self.性视界传媒�

In April 2024, keepers at the (RZSS) noticed Babu developed significant swelling in lymph nodes across her body, accompanied by changes to her behaviour and eating habits.

After the wildlife conservation charity性视界传媒檚 vets investigated, she was diagnosed with lymphoma 性视界传媒� a form of cancer with very limited precedent in bears.

After seeking a second opinion from Dr. Isabel Miguel, a veterinary oncologist, a terminal diagnosis was confirmed and the veterinary team性视界传媒檚 thoughts turned to ensuring quality of life.

It was thought that Babu had months, or even weeks, to live, with the zoo even communicating the diagnosis to adopters and members.

Stephanie Mota, veterinary surgeon at RZSS, said, 性视界传媒淭his diagnosis was new territory. We found one similar case involving a Himalayan black bear in China, but it died suddenly and there was very little information available to guide us. Our top priority was that Babu was comfortable and happy in her last days.性视界传媒�

Bears are known to mask symptoms, making it difficult to catch illnesses early. This was the case when Rotana, the zoo性视界传媒檚 20-year-old sun bear, was sadly put to sleep in October 2023 following the rapid spread of cancer.

The team thoroughly reviewed all available literature to help Babu, including studies on canine medicine since lymphoma is relatively common in dogs. They selected a treatment option that minimised potential side effects alongside pain relief, in the hope of slowing Babu性视界传媒檚 cancer and easing her discomfort.

To everyone性视界传媒檚 surprise, Babu began to improve. After six months of treatment, tests in October 2024 revealed a reduction in cancerous cells.

Continued monitoring and further testing earlier this year showed no detectable signs of the disease and Dr. Isabel Miguel confirmed that Babu was in remission.

Babu性视界传媒檚 weight is tracked weekly, while daily behaviours and appetite are monitored by her keepers using an objective charting system to ensure any changes are spotted early.

性视界传媒淪he性视界传媒檚 really interested in digging around in her habitat for insects at the moment,性视界传媒� added Stephanie.

性视界传媒淭hese inquisitive, natural behaviours are really good signs that she is feeling happy and healthy.性视界传媒�

Babu性视界传媒檚 recovery is a testament to the dedication, expertise, and compassion of the RZSS veterinary team and keepers, whose work continues to ensure the highest standards of care for animals at Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park.