An adorable red panda has undergone a full-body MOT after worried keepers noticed he had gone off 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 poorly tooth.
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The troublesome tooth was removed before Bruce was given a complete health check to make sure nothing else was wrong, as reported by Whats The Jam.
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.
Bruce is once again exploring in search of bamboo and taking naps high in the trees.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs the zoo, said: “Edinburgh Zoo placed red panda Bruce under general anaesthetic for a health check-up after keepers noticed he was off his food.
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“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.
“He was given a clean bill of health and is now back in his habitat.
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“He can be seen exploring for bamboo and napping in the trees as usual.”
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.
Red pandas live in high-altitude temperate forests across the Eastern Himalayas and south-western China, including parts of Nepal and India.
The tree-dwelling animals are excellent climbers and spend much of their time sleeping on branches.
Their partially retractable claws help them grip bark, while their back feet can rotate to allow them to climb down trees headfirst.
Although their diet is largely made up of bamboo, red pandas also eat fruit, roots, eggs and insects.
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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