A much-loved polar bear may be put down following her move to the Highlands Wildlife Park from Edinburgh Zoo.
Fans raised £50,000 to transfer Mercedes to a much larger enclosure at the park near Kingussie, Inverness-shire in 2009.
But due to the onset of painful arthritis, the 30-year-old animal is surviving on a cocktail of drugs.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland may have to end the life of the half-ton animal if her health does not improve.
Douglas Richardson, the animal collection manager at the Highland Wildlife Park said: "Mercedes is 30 years old, which is extremely old for a polar bear, and it is to be expected that her health may be deteriorating.
"Despite her mobility and joints not being what they once were, Mercedes still currently enjoys a good quality of life here at the Highland Wildlife Park, where she has been for almost two years now. We constantly liaise closely with both our internal vet team and external experts and our team of keepers are on hand to give her all the care she needs."
Simon Girling, a vet for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, added: "Mercedes suffers from advanced osteoarthritis, for which there is unfortunately no cure. Her condition became apparent some time after her move to the Highland Wildlife Park from Edinburgh Zoo. This condition is seen in most elderly polar bears both in the wild and in captivity.
"We’re managing her condition with various medication and pain relief, and we’re currently trying her on some new medication."
"If Mercedes deteriorates further in the future and begins to suffer, it is probable that with sadness we will have to consider humane euthanasia on the grounds of health and welfare. However, we are not at this stage yet."
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