G05 - Zoo Doctor
Intro: When a doctor graduates from medical school, he or she takes an oath to take the best care possible of all patients. The Mayo Clinic doctor you're about to meet takes that oath seriously, even when his patients are not what you'd expect to see in the operating room.
| Video | Audio |
| Total running time 1:23 | "BUENOS DIAS!" |
| IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD DAY FOR DR. CHRISTOPHER MOIR AND HIS TEAM WHEN ONE OF THEIR PATIENTS SMILES. | |
Christopher Moir, M.D. |
"COMO ESTA?" |
| DR. MOIR IS A PEDIATRIC SURGEON WHOSE LIFE'S PASSION IS CARING FOR SICK CHILDREN, LIKE LITTLE ESTEBAN, WHO WAS BORN WITHOUT AN ESOPHAGUS. SURGICALLY CORRECTING ESTEBAN'S ESOPHAGUS IS THE TYPE OF SURGERY THAT'S ALL IN A DAYS WORK FOR THIS CREW. | |
Standup |
BUT TODAY DR. MOIR IS HELPING A DIFFERENT KIND OF PATIENT. |
Christopher Moir, M.D. |
"SHE LOOKS GREAT. ACTUALLY WE CAN SEE THINGS VERY WELL." |
| MEET HONEY THE ASIAN SUNBEAR, A RESIDENT OF THE MINNESOTA ZOO. YOU SEE, HONEY AND HER MATE SUNNY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE BABIES. TO HELP HER CONCEIVE, DR. MOIR IS PERFORMING A LAPAROSCOPIC PROCEDURE. | |
Christopher Moir, M.D. |
"LAPAROSCOPY IS A WAY OF DOING THE OPERATION THAT'S MINIMALLY INVASIVE, THAT ALLOWS THE SUNBEAR TO GET BACK ON EXHIBIT WITH MINIMAL PAIN." |
| THE MINNESOTA ZOO'S TOM NESS SAYS HELPING THIS LITTLE BEAR CONCEIVE IS IMPORTANT ... | |
Tom Ness |
"BECAUSE THIS IS A RARE SPECIES AND THERE ARE SO FEW OF THEM IN THE POPULATION, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THEIR GENES ARE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS." |
| BUT WHY IS A HUMAN DOCTOR, NOT A VET, OPERATING ON A BEAR? | |
Christopher Moir, M.D. |
"IT'S ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER. IT'S ABOUT SHARING OUR TECHNOLOGY, SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE. VET MEDICINE HAS A RICH DIVERSITY OF SPECIALISTS. AND TOGETHER WE CAN GET THE BEST OUTCOME FOR THIS LITTLE SUNBEAR." |
| FOR HONEY THE SUNBEAR AND GENERATIONS TO COME. | |
| FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS. | |
Tag: It will be a few months before the vets at the zoo know if honey the sunbear is pregnant. If she is, there will no doubt be a bear-sized party at the Minnesota Zoo.
This subspecies of sunbear comes from a part of Asia where some people consider the animal's gallbladder bile to be an aphrodisiac. Unfortunately this has caused a serious decline in the bear population. Experts at the zoo say a new cub would give hope to ensure the bears' future.
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