Dentists operate on wild bear in German national park
A team of dental and wildlife experts have spent a day operating on a 250-kilogram brown bear known as Igor. The bear had suffered from tooth decay as a result of spending his early life in a cage.
Visit to the dentist
Experts were called in to operate on a 250-kilogram (550-pound) brown bear known as Igor in a wildlife park in the eastern German state of Brandenburg.
Out cold
Specialists anesthetized the bear and raised it onto a makeshift operating table with the help of volunteers.
Open wide
With Igor's mouth hanging open and tongue drooping out, the dental surgeons went to work on repairing the 21-year-old's infected gums. They used similar tools to those used for human dentistry, only larger.
Long, aching process
The operation lasted into the afternoon. Another bear was scheduled to undergo a similar operation on Friday, although it had to be postponed.
Not an uncommon problem
Park manager Julian Dorsch believes the bear's dental problems stemmed from chewing on the iron bars of his cage "out of boredom." Igor spent his early life in captivity.
Accidental discovery
Experts were initially called to find out why Igor had been walking strangely. While investigating his hip joints, they discovered his tooth decay. Igor is expected to recover from both problems.