A small animal shelter in Massweiler, Germany near the French border, is home to a story of resilience and creativity. Recently, Cara, an impressive and beautiful Bengal tiger, has gotten a new chance at a happy tiger life in Massweiler, following the replacement of her gold tooth.
A Tiger who cracked her tooth chewing on toys is fitted with a “golden fang” at an animal shelter in Germany. pic.twitter.com/HPV0ZHSea8
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Cara’s story began more than eight years ago in Italy. At the age of five, the 125-pound wild tiger was rescued from illegal captivity in 2013. Finding her way to the German rescue center, Cara regained security.
In August, the keepers discovered that Cara had broken her front fang while innocently playing with her toys. Since dental health is crucial to the tiger’s well-being, an international team of experts from Denmark was called in to design a replacement tooth from gold. The process was completed in two steps.
The first part was the visit in August, where the dental impression of her fang was taken. This part of the process lasted more than two hours. The second part took place the next month and was the installation of the golden crown. It also took more than 1 hour and a half, during which the golden crown was carefully placed over Cara’s broken tooth using special glue and UV rays.
In addition, Cara’s “smile,” from which the “new golden tooth” looks, fully adapts to the new formation during “three weeks” after surgery. From now on she eats food as usual. This moment filled the rescuers with incredible joy and relief.
Biologist Eva Lindenschmidt rejoiced and confirmed this: “We are really pleased that Cara can bite properly now and is seen smiling, showing her new gold tooth.”
Cara’s journey is a remarkable demonstration of what is possible with the compassion and professionalism of the rescue center’s employees and the advancements in veterinary practice. This tale is a true symbol of hope and perseverance that we need to withstand our own trials regarding animal welfare. Her golden grin reminds us once more about the things that are achievable with permissibility and the potentiality of rejuvenation.
