"The other nine bears that received treatment last year had all started eating well, and managed to accumulate the necessary fat to go to winter sleep for the first time since they were brought here," Ilieva added.

But as Charlie was being let off the operating table he found Khalil's "paradise" quite shaky at first, stumbling around in a circle as the anesthesia wore off, feverishly licking his nose and looking around for something to try his new teeth on.

The 13 female and five male bears living in the park are fed tomatoes, apples, pears, carrots or other fruit together with some bread.

They are also encouraged to search for food hidden around the park, which comprises 12 hectares (30 acres) of forests and mountains, with 12 caves, seven artificial ponds and a number of dens.

Some 1,000 bears inhabit the Bulgarian Rila and Pirin mountains around the Dancing Bears Park, located some 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital.

But the park bears cannot be let out of their artificial habitat because their natural instincts have long been suppressed by captivity and abuse, experts say.

"Some would be completely helpless if let out in the wild," said one park worker, noting that one animal was blinded due to excessive sugar intake and that another had an incurable blood condition.

"There was also one 34-year-old she bear we knew would not make it for long even under our care. Her owner had cut her neck with a knife and left an infected wound on her belly by stabbing it with an iron rod. She died in November 2003," the worker said.

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Name: Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)
Primary Classification: Ursida (Bears)
Location: Mainly Canada, Alaska and Russia. Also Europe, Syria, northern India, the continental United States and other countries.
Habitat: A variety of habitats, preferring open areas such as tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines.
Diet: Mainly vegetation, including grasses, roots, moss, bulbs and tubers. Also insects, fungus, small mammals, salmon and carrion.
Size: Averages 5 to 9 ft from head to rump and 200 to 1,700 lbs in weight.
Description: Dense, dark brown fur; small, amber-colored eyes; broad, black nose; small, round ears; shoulder hump; long, curved, nonretractable claws.
Cool Facts: It has some of the largest olfactory membranes in the animal kingdom, allowing it to detect scents from over a mile away. It uses its claws to dig for roots and tubers, excavate small mammals from their burrows, dig depressions in the ground for resting and to mark trees, communicating territorial boundaries and reproductive status.
Conservation Status: Common, but threatened in some parts of its range.
Major Threat(s): Habitat loss and poaching.
What Can I Do?: Visit Bear Trust International and Ursus International Conservation Institute for information on how you can help.

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