Tiger taken to the Dentist to have 3 Fillings
A Sumatran tiger at a wildlife park in Kent is back to his meat munching best after having dental work to fix three broken front teeth.
A brave surgeon had to give a 20 stone tiger three fillings after he chipped three of his front teeth.
Nine-year-old Amir, who weighs more than 20 stone, was sedated and transported to the on-site hospital for treatment by dental surgeon Peter Kertesz.
Ben Warren, head of the carnivore section at Howletts, said it was decided to fill the affected teeth to prevent any pain occurring.
He said, “Amir is a lovely tiger and although the broken teeth weren’t causing him any discomfort, we knew that a filling would be the best course of action to prevent any deterioration.”
Jane Hopper, head of veterinary services at Howletts, said, “This is a difficult procedure in a tiger as the canine tooth’s root can be six times longer in a tiger than a human.”
She added that the operation had been a complete success but that Amir will be monitored for the next few weeks.
Howletts is home to two Sumatran tigers, two Siberian tigers and two Bengal tigers. All are classed as endangered or critically endangered in the wild.
Poaching and habitat loss are among the main reasons why their numbers have fallen so heavily in the wild, according to experts.
There is estimated to only be between 441 and 679 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.
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