By Charlene Macaulay
Even lions have to visit the dentist, as one-year-old Ilona learned recently.
The female cub, who was suffering from a tooth root infection, is on the mend after having four baby teeth removed at Werribee Open Range Zoo’s veterinary clinic.
The problem was identified when the zoo’s lion keepers noticed swelling around Ilona’s mouth.
“She was eating well and there was no change in her behaviour but we still knew there was a problem,” keeper Katherine Quinn said.
The zoo’s vet experts, along with specialist veterinary dentist David Clarke, took an hour to x-ray Ilona’s mouth and remove the troublesome teeth.
