Amur Tiger who broke a tooth takes a trip to the dentist

Bagai having a walkImage source, Marwell Zoo
Image caption,

Bagai is now back in action after his dentist adventure

Bagai the tiger was in a bit of bother after he broke a tooth.

But when you have sharp teeth that measure up to 9cm long - and weigh as much as a motorbike - a trip to the dentist can be slightly tricky.

The Amur Tiger, who is 11 years old, lives at Marwell Zoo in Winchester. The team looking after him there decided he needed root canal surgery - where an infection is removed from the tooth, then it is cleaned and sealed up.

Bagai's age and known health conditions made operating a higher-risk procedure so it was important that everything went to plan.

Image source, Marwell Zoo

An all-female team took on the task of fixing the tiger's broken tooth and keeping and eye on Bagai after he was given anaesthetic while the dental work was done.

Dr Elysé Summerfield-Smith, who is a zoo vet, was leading the operation.

"When we run procedures like this, everyone involved has responsibility for the lives of their colleagues as well as the life of the tiger" Elysé said.

Amur tiger facts
  • Real name: Pantera tigris, altaica

  • Amur tigers are the largest tiger and the world's biggest cat

  • They mostly live wild in the mountains of Russia and north-east China

  • There are believed to be just 300-400 in the wild

Courtesy of Marwell Zoo

Image source, Marwell Zoo

"We're all women, and all of us had an area of responsibility so being able to work together, communicate well and perform our role to the best of our ability was critical."

Bagai has since made a full recovery and is enjoying his food once again thanks to a great job by the team.