A specialist from London had to be called to treat a tiger at Howletts Wild Animal Park after the feline managed to break three of its teeth. Amir, a male Sumatran tiger weighing 130kg, broke his upper right canine and had to get a filling to repair the damage.
Dental Surgeon and founder of Zoodent, Peter Kertesz, was called on to help Amir following his dental accident. The tiger had to be sedated for the procedure and he was then transported to the onsite hospital for the treatment.
Jane Hopper, Head of Veterinary Services at Howletts said that this was ‘a difficult procedure’ because tiger’s teeth are much larger than human teeth, with the roots sometimes as six times a big. She told the Canterbury Times that the treatment was ‘a complete success’ and the team thanked Peter for coming down to the zoo to help with the tigers dental care. Jane added that ‘Amir has recovered well, but we’ll keep an eye on him over the next few weeks.’
Amir is one of two Sumatran tigers at the park, alongside two Siberian tigers and two Bengal tigers.