feel goodMelbourne Zoo's Sumatran tiger sent to dentist over cracked canine teethBy Toby HusseyTopic:Zoos1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 5:11amThe dental procedure to remove the Sumatran Tiger's root canals took more than 90 minutes. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)abc.net.au/news/sumatran-tiger-teeth-vet-melbourne-zoo-animal-endangered/105268730Link copiedShareShare articleIf there is anything more heart-racing than being caught in the eye of the tiger, it must be being caught in the mouth of one.That was the experience of one Melbourne dentist this month, who was called to get between the jaws of one of nature's fiercest predators.Hutan the tiger weighs 110 kilograms and had to be sedated for two hours. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)David Clarke had been brought in for dental work on Hutan, one of Melbourne Zoo's two 15-year-old Sumatran tigers, when it was discovered a third tooth also needed attention.For Dr Clarke, a specialist animal dentist who usually works on cats and dogs, it was a significant departure from the normal nine-to-five — a 90-minute procedure on an apex predator."Coming out to do a tiger is … something you could never imagine you were going to do," he said.Hutan's injuries included cracks to his two lower canine teeth — a pair of 7.5 centimetre shredders capable of effortlessly cutting through muscle and sinew.A root canal procedure involves removing a dead nerve to remove pain from a damaged tooth.Two hours under anaesthesia and three root canals later, Hutan's jaws were recovering back their biting best.They were injuries which could be fatal in the wild but were easily handled in a zoo — if a little confronting for the dentist working on them.Zookeepers believe Hutan cracked his canines while chomping bones. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)Zoo officials believe they were likely damaged while Hutan chomped through bones."You're suddenly face-to-face with this incredibly powerful animal," Melbourne Zoo's life sciences manager for carnivores Laura Weiner said."Yet, in that moment, you're focused on something as small and delicate as a tooth."After a groggy wake-up, Hutan was reportedly soon back to regular habits: exploring his habitat, enjoying the sunshine and grooming himself.Sumatran Tigers are considered as a critically endangered species in the wild. (Supplied: Zoos Victoria)He is one of two Sumatran tigers living at Melbourne Zoo, both born in 2010.Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, with fewer than 400 left in the wild.Posted 1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 5:11am, updated 1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 5:30amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesGreens leader Adam Bandt concedes seat, ending 15 years in parliamentTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Adam Bandt press gallery doorstopMore women in Labor than ever but top jobs still going to menBAnalysis by Brett WorthingtonPhoto shows Anika Wells Amanda Rishworth Katie Gallagher Anne AlyAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus dumped from frontbench in factional carve-upLIVEPhoto shows Mark Dreyfus standing at the dispatch box in the federal parliament.Two men found guilty of murdering Indigenous schoolboy Cassius TurveyTopic:HomicidePhoto shows Cassius Turvey Forever 15Erin Patterson visibly upset as daughter gives evidence at murder trialLIVEPhoto shows A digital drawing of Erin Patterson wearing a pink shirtPopular nowAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus dumped from frontbench in factional carve-upLIVEPhoto shows Mark Dreyfus standing at the dispatch box in the federal parliament.Greens leader Adam Bandt concedes seat, ending 15 years in parliamentTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Adam Bandt press gallery doorstopErin Patterson visibly upset as daughter gives evidence at murder trialLIVEPhoto shows A digital drawing of Erin Patterson wearing a pink shirtRelated topicsAnimalsParkvilleZoosTop StoriesGreens leader Adam Bandt concedes seat, ending 15 years in parliamentTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Adam Bandt press gallery doorstopMore women in Labor than ever but top jobs still going to menBAnalysis by Brett WorthingtonAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus dumped from frontbench in factional carve-upTopic:Government and PoliticsTwo men found guilty of murdering Indigenous schoolboy Cassius TurveyTopic:HomicideErin Patterson visibly upset as daughter gives evidence at murder trialTopic:Law, Crime and JusticeJust InGovernment shouldn't tell parents how to discipline kids, Crisafulli saysTopic:Parenting8m ago8 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 6:24amJail term doubled for 'muppets' involved in 100kg cocaine import attemptTopic:Cocaine19m ago19 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 6:12amMore women in Labor than ever but top jobs still going to menBAnalysis by Brett Worthington21m ago21 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 6:11amSoviet spacecraft will crash back to Earth within 48 hours, data suggestsTopic:Explainer22m ago22 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 6:10amMore Just InBack to top