A toothache is always annoying, and even debilitating at times. And if the tooth happens to be a tusk, the problem could simply take a mammoth shape. Madhubala, 16, had endured this pain without relief for years, with her broken tusk causing a dental infection. The elephant in Pakistan was finally relieved of her pain Wednesday after veterinarians treated her using a unique method, news agency Reuters reported.
Madhubala, named after the famous Indian yesteryear actor known for her beauty, is being treated in Karachi by along with three other African elephants, the report said.
The eight-member doctors' team from the global animal welfare group Four Paws, which is treating the four, had in 2020 famously relocated Kaavan, the elephant dubbed the world's loneliest, from Islamabad to Cambodia.
According to the report, local animal rights activists had raised concerns in court about the well-being of the four elephants, and the visit of the medical team followed a 2021 direction by the Sindh High Court in Karachi for Four Paws to assess their health.
Taking to Facebook, Four Paws posted that the “unique operation” went well and that Madhubala was feeling fine.
How Madhubala Was Treated
Madhubala was treated at the Karachi Zoo while under unique standing sedation, the report said. Her eyes were made to be shut using tapes, while her legs were tied to side grills to support her during sedation and the subsequent surgical procedure.
To extract the infected tusk, the report said, the team had to use heavy surgical tools and drills. The tusk finally came out in bits and pieces. A sedated Madhubala did not put up much resistance during the procedure which took around 5-6 hours.
An endoscopy was done before the treatment, and it showed the full tusk inside measured 12.2 inches, Dr Marina Ivanova from the team told Reuters.
"Due to long-term inflammation the tissue is so fragile and thin it's not possible to take it out at once, it is breakable," she said.
The team is now focussing on Madhubala’s postsurgical treatment. “...the removal of the tusk would open a big wound, so this wound needs daily cleaning," said Ivanova.
“The root is still inside but with flushing twice a day, we expect a good healing process from inside to out. We are very happy about the results…” Four Paws said in the Facebook post.”
Team leader Dr Aamir Khalil explained why the elephant was sedated in a standing position. "Today we are happy to start the first unique procedure at the Zoo in standing position not in sleeping or complete anaesthesia as it could be risky for the elephant and could be fatal…" the report quoted him as saying.
About the other three elephants under their care, Khalil said their foot treatment started two months ago and that they were in a much better state. He also said the group needed to do more work for the welfare of the animals, according to the Reuters report.