From the News: Boris the polar bear at Point Defiance Zoo has 3 teeth pulled

Boris the polar bear at Point Defiance Zoo has 3 teeth pulled

Veterinarians and support staff work to remove three broken or decayed teeth from Boris, a 29-year-old polar bear, at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma on Friday. (Ingrid Barrentine / Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium)

As has been mentioned, zoo animals tend to live longer than their wild counterparts.  In the wild, a polar bear probably wouldn't live long enough to need dental work, as it would be dead - probably of starvation - long before.  As a result, zookeepers and veterinarians, especially those working with geriatric animals, often find themselves dealing with new, age-related challenges - arthritis in giraffes, diabetes in apes, and dental problems with polar bears, as the folks in Tacoma are demonstrating above.  Performing medical care on any zoo animal can be challenging, especially when the patient in question is a gigantic mega-predator.

An interesting side note, Boris, the male polar bear in question, is one of the "Suarez Seven", polar bears who were rescued from a Mexican circus and rehoused in AZA-accredited zoos.  It's great to see that, over a decade later, he's still doing well in his new home.