Elephant with toothache gets a visit from the dentist

Keepers at Whipsnade Zoo recently noticed that 33-year-old Lucha, a female Asian elephant, was off her food.

So they got her checked out by vets - and it was quickly discovered that she had a wobbly tooth that had moved and become infected.

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West End dental surgeon Dr. Peter Kertesz, a human dentist who is also a specialist in zoo dentistry, was called in to help the team extract the massive molar.

Head vet at the Zoological Society of London, Nic Masters said: "While most people dread the idea of a visit to the dentist, for Lucha the elephant it was a relaxed experience, due to the regular training and close relationship she has with our keepers.

"When anaesthetising an animal, we can't predict what side they'll lie down on, but thanks to training, Lucha was able to lay down on the right side, ensuring we could access her gum easily, and quickly remove the tooth to get her back on her feet as soon as possible."

Lucha and the herd of ten Asian elephants at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

Asian elephants are classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.