A King In Need...A Saving Operation!

Going to the dentist is not a pleasant situation for most of us. It literally brings chills to my spine whenever I have to go, however the feeling of a clear and shining smile is always desirable! This story is about a visit to the dentist but not for a human being...but for the King of animals a White Lion. The 9 year-old lion, named Aslan, lives just outside of Pretoria, South Africa, at the Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary, named after its operator.

Kevin Richardson is known throughout the world as “The Lion Whisperer” because of the deep mutual understanding he shares with the wild cats. He says he is able to walk and run among the lions because he has a relationship with them and knows each individual’s quirks and how to read their behaviors. The lions sense something special and unique about Kevin which has led them to accept him as part of their prides. With this intense connection comes an unspoken responsibility, and Kevin has taken it upon himself to safeguard the lions health and well being.

A lion without his bite is hardly a lion at all, says Kevin Richardson, the famous Lion Whisperer. Aslan was suffering miserably from rotten and broken off canines, and the pain had changed him for the worse.

After suffering a bite at a very young age, Aslan lost two of the four canine teeth that lions so heavily rely upon for eating.

The Lion Whisperer enlisted the help of veterinary dentist Dr. Gerhard Steenkamp, who estimated the surgery would take as many as four hours, which concerned Richardson, because anesthetizing a large animal for that time period carries a significant amount of risk. Adding to the worry, Dr. Steenkamp found found four teeth that needed care post-anesthetic, and the entire procedure took six hours.

Fortunately, the anesthetic had no ill effect on the lion, and the procedure was a success.

Fortunately, the caring people in his life made sure that Aslan wouldn’t have to endure this embarrassment any longer. Contracting with a large toothpaste company to help offset the cost of the extensive procedure needed to repair Aslan’s teeth, The Kevin Richardson Wildlife Sanctuary was able to give Aslan a second chance to live his life in comfort at the sanctuary.

Had he been a wild lion, he likely would have died from losing use of his teeth. Instead, his appetite and eating capabilities have completely returned. His temperament is in good stead, with no sign of the irritability and aggression that accompanied his pain.

When he’s finally brought back and reintroduced to the other lions they happily accept him. Aslan got his bite back and, just as importantly, his sense of place in the pride which is the world to him.

Credits: Fixodent

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