SEDGWICK COUNTY —Earlier this month, one of the male African elephants, Callee, had a unique dental procedure at the Sedgwick County Zoo.
During a sparring event with Titan, the zoo's other male elephant, Callee broke one of his tusks at the pulp cavity causing bleeding that numerous visitors witnessed from the sidelines.
The tusk needed to be repaired as soon as possible to prevent further damage and infection. Tusks are similar to teeth, so the zoo called in Dr. Winter, a boarded veterinary dentist who is certified in zoo/wildlife dentistry, to perform a treatment much like a root canal.
According to a social media report from the zoo, the procedure went incredibly well, thanks to everyone involved. "From the Elephant Care Team to Maintenance and our Veterinarian staff, it truly took a team to accomplish."
"In fact, during this procedure, it was National Vet Tech Week, and we had the honor of hosting members of the Association of Zoo Veterinary Technicians here at SCZ for their post-conference trip. Zoo vet techs from across the nation were able to witness a part of this fascinating procedure firsthand."