Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel is for a bear named Mango, to repair a herniated disc. The Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel took place at the Ramat Gan Zoological Center, according to the Associated Press.

The 19-year-old Syrian brown bear named Mango reportedly endured surgery on Wednesday to have his herniated or slipped disc repaired, said Spokeswoman Sagit Horowitz for the Ramat Gan Zoological Center near Tel Aviv.

The Associated Press reports that according to Dr. Merav Shamir, who led the surgery on the furry patient, the Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel took place because Mango began showing signs of paralysis in his hind legs in the last few weeks. The doctor said, "It started acutely. He wasn't able to move his right hind limb and it progressively deteriorated over the following 48 hours to become completely paralyzed on the hind limbs."

Shamir added in the statement addressing the Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel, "The injured disc, discovered during an x-ray, was compressing the 250-kilogram bear's spinal cord, causing the paralysis."

As shown in the images prior to the surgery, veterinarians had to shave parts of the bear's furry back to prepare him for surgery. They propped Mango's head up on a pillow wrapped in a trash bag and placed an IV through his snout. The vets also enveloped a blood-pressure cuff around the Syrian bear's paw.

Though this Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel made news headlines, according to The Star, unique procedures such as this aren't uncommon at the Ramat Gan facility, Israel's premier zoo. Last year, veterinarians reportedly used acupuncture in order to treat a 14-year-old Sumatran tiger's chronic ear infection.

Shamir also said that other bears with similar disc problems to Mango's were euthanized. The Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel isn't new for bears as it was also performed on small dogs. She said before the surgery, "I'm nervous now - I'll be happier in a few hours. I wish him luck."

The Star reports that veterinarians will be able to know whether Mango makes a full recovery in the coming weeks.

Syrian brown bear surgery in Israel is reportedly the first operation of its kind ever to take place for a bear. According to Daily Mail, Syrian brown bears were historically found in mountainous areas of Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and other parts of Eurasia. However, poaching and loss of habitat have reduced their numbers in the wild and made them extinct. The surgery will hopefully serve as one of the means to save and conserve the brown bear population.