A zookeeper confirmed his bravery right here as he checked the enamel of a resident hippo and plucked out muck that might result in dental points.
The footage was shared on social media by “Zookeeper Guy”, higher referred to as Brian from Copenhagen Zoo within the Danish capital Copenhagen, with the message: “Quick mouth check on Komtu to make sure everything looks okay, it usually is.
“In this one, you’ll be able to very clearly see his ‘two sorts of enamel’ configuration. Up entrance he has the massive sharp canines within the decrease jaw, these match the flat grinding tooth within the higher jaw, it is that small flat one that appears prefer it’s damaged, it isn’t.
“That’s the tooth that sharpens those big bottom ones, and they get real sharp, like a razor. In the middle we have the incisors, those are the big round ones, looking like two pieces of bamboo sticking out of his mouth.
“Some hippos primarily males can have these rising out of their mouths like tusks on elephant. They’ll often hold them trimmed down, by rubbing and grinding in opposition to the bottom whereas consuming.
“Komtu has exceptionally large incisors, and once every 5-6 years we help out by trimming them back a bit, for his comfort.
“Front enamel, all of them up entrance, are pure ivory, no nerves in them, they’ll break off proper down by the jaw, and so they simply begin rising again out.
“They are mainly used for display and to scare off competitors, or for threats, and if that’s not working, the fighting begins. Hippos do not back off.
“Lastly manner within the again, now we have the precise molars, these are ‘actual’ enamel, large grinding, chewing enamel, used to chop and grind grass which is their main meals supply, plenty of grass.”
@zookeeperguy/Zenger
Brian, 47, who has labored as a zookeeper at Copenhagen Zoo for 23 years, mentioned he had been finishing up day by day duties with the hippos for the final 13 years.
Brian advised Newsflash: “We have three hippos, two females and a male. In the footage, I am not brushing their teeth, but checking their mouths for bruises or anything out of the ordinary. I also check their teeth regularly to make sure they are not broken or damaged, which can cause pain and trouble eating.
“Being near hippos can in fact be harmful, however what you are seeing here’s a results of working with these lovely animals for a few years.
He added: “We use only positive reinforcement when working with them, meaning they participate freely and can leave any time they feel like it.”
Brian advised Newsflash: “As a treat, we usually give the hippos apples as they are easy to get all year round.”
This story was offered to Newsweek by Zenger News.