• Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

How to do root canal on a leopard…

BCR by BCR
February 22, 2014
in News World
0 0
0
0
SHARES
2
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

October 30 2010 at 05:39pm
By ZELDA VENTER


INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

With the big cat in dreamland, Dr Gerhard Steenkamp tends to the leopard s fractured upper canine. Picture : Sarah Makoe

What is worse than a bear with a sore head? A leopard with a sore tooth.

But it all seemed to be in a day’s work for the staff at Onderstepoort’s dental clinic on Friday as they performed a root canal on a hairier than normal patient – and one that needed to be handled with extra care.

The patient was a wild male leopard which was discovered two weeks ago in a eucalyptus tree by a resident of Boschkop, east of Pretoria.

Clinical vet Dr Adrian Tordiffe of Pretoria zoo assisted members of the Tshwane Nature Conservation to dart the animal.

The big cat, which was promptly named Ingwe (“leopard” in Sotho) was taken to the zoo to ensure its safety, until it can be relocated back into the wild.

Tordiffe said the leopard was stressed at the time and had to be placed in isolation for its own safety.

Ingwe’s stress levels were extremely high during the first week and he didn’t eat anything. It was only during this week that it started eating. The plan was to release him on Monday at Dinokeng, but Tordiffe said they then discovered that he had fractured a tooth during his stay at the zoo.

He explained that this unfortunately sometimes happened when wild animals were kept in captivity and they tried to escape. The ideal thing would be to release them immediately, but it is not always possible as there are various arrangements to be made beforehand.

Tordiffe realised the fracture would cause the animal significant pain and that it would become more severe once the root canal became infected. “It can also influence the animal’s long-term chances of survival,” he said.

With this in mind, it was decided that it was time for the leopard to visit the dentist. The anaesthetised cat was transported from the zoo to Onderstepoort, where Steenkamp and his team sorted out the tooth within an hour.

Steenkamp performed the root canal and filled the tooth cavity on the 60kg animal with the normal white cement used on humans.

Steenkamp said it was important that they tended to the fractured upper canine, as the nerves and blood vessels were exposed, which exposed it to infection. His task was made easier, he said, by the fact that it was a fresh fracture.

Although Ingwe will now have a slightly shorter upper canine, it will not hamper him at all in his hunting, Steenkamp said. He explained that they couldn’t put a crown on an elongated tooth as the material available is not strong enough to resist all the forces which a leopard is likely to encounter.

Steenkamp said he had in the past performed several similar procedures on leopards and they were all successful. He was confident that Ingwe would have many happy hunting years ahead of him with his newly fixed tooth.

Ingwe was later transported to the Mongena private game farm within Dinokeng. When he came to, he did not show any effects of his minor surgery.

He was left with a hearty lunch before exploring his new environment.

The leopard was fitted with a combination radio and cellphone collar to monitor his progress.

It is estimated that he is three to four years old and it is unclear where he came from. Tordiffe suspected that he could have been displaced by other territorial males.- Pretoria News

bigcatrescue.org


Tags: News World
Previous Post

Video Interview with Tiger Attack Victim – Big Cat Rescue WI

Next Post

Kundapur: Leopard, dog meet watery grave – PHOTOS

Next Post

Kundapur: Leopard, dog meet watery grave - PHOTOS

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • I hear bobcat, tiger and Mouser. Oh my! Summer bobcat at Big Cat Rescue August 18, 2022
  • Big Cat Rescue LIVE Q&A with Brittany at Big Cat Rescue 08 16 2022 August 18, 2022
  • 2022 08 17 Big Cat Briefing August 18, 2022

Recent Comments

  • Barbara Jane Harpe on Koda Lioness
  • Scarlett Reynolds on Kricket Serval
  • Monika Hesse on Kricket Serval
  • Kitty Foyle on Kricket Serval
  • Christen Nitkowski on Kricket Serval

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

More from Big Cats

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV
I hear bobcat, tiger and Mouser. Oh my! Summer bobcat at Big Cat Rescue

I hear bobcat, tiger and Mouser. Oh my! Summer bobcat at Big Cat Rescue

August 18, 2022
Big Cat Rescue LIVE Q&A with Brittany at Big Cat Rescue 08 16 2022

Big Cat Rescue LIVE Q&A with Brittany at Big Cat Rescue 08 16 2022

August 18, 2022
2022 08 17 Big Cat Briefing

2022 08 17 Big Cat Briefing

August 18, 2022
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2022 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • Account
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat NFTS
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Rescuers
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Browse Submissions
  • Connections
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Donate Crypto
  • Embed Link
  • Followers
  • Following
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Join Us
    • Registration
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Login
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Logout
  • Malaya Bobcat
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Member Directory
  • Members
  • My Profile
    • Edit Profile
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Live Feeds
  • Password Reset
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Register
  • Register
  • Register
    • Edit Your Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Welcome
    • Your Membership
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Submission Confirmed
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • User
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2022 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Cleantalk Pixel

Add New Playlist