Humans aren’t the only species that need to have dental surgery from time to time, and luckily for Asiatic lion Indu the procedure for removing feline teeth is much the same as it is with human teeth. Dr Peter Kertesz normally provides regular dental treatment to humans but was called to Paignton Zoo, in Devon, to help with multiple extractions after Indu’s teeth became damaged.
Dr Kertesz runs a surgery in London but has also extended his treatment to pandas, whales, and gorillas; since dental treatment is relatively similar from mammal to mammal. A spokesman for the zoo stated that Indu appeared to have chipped her teeth while biting onto something hard and one canine and one pre-molar had to be removed. She is said to be recovering well after the surgery. He added that adult Asiatic lions weigh around 20 stone and have up to 30 teeth, including large canines that can be several inches in length.
Referring to the dental treatment, Dr Kertesz said ‘Animals or people, it’s all the same – they need treatment, they get treatment. The scale and the location is what varies. People ask if this is just a bit of fun but it is a very serious business. The health and sometimes the life of a rare creature is in your hands.’