British dental expert Paul Cassar was invited to Armenia to extract four of a bear's teeth and deal with a painful abscess, The Daily Mail says in an article.

Cassar, assisting a team of vets from the British charity International Animal Rescue, said: "It’s a bit different from my normal 9.30am appointment. But there is no normal with exotic animals.

"It was tough going but he has recovered well and is free from the excruciating pain he must have been suffering."

Named General, the bear, 19, was rescued from a private zoo kept by a former Armenian army general and politician, most probably Manvel Grigoryan.