Just like humans, animals need their teeth to be healthy and in good working order, and Bengali - who you can sponsor in the Popcorn Park Wildlife Club - was the most recent recipient of some dental attention. Staff had noticed Bengali's jaw looked a little lopsided. When he yawned, they could see that one of his canines was broken.

Inside Bengali's den in Popcorn Park, Dr. Ed Shagam, right, and veterinarian Dr. Jonathan Bergmann, left, prepare to work on Bengali's root canal.

When one of the animals needs any kind of procedure like this, Popcorn Park calls on our zoo veterinarian, Dr. Paluch, and dentist/orthodontist, Dr. Ed Shagam. When the animal is out under anesthesia, it is the ideal time to pull blood and do a blood work-up, and give him or her a thorough general health exam. Then Dr. Shagam gets to work. Bengali was in need of his services when he first arrived at Popcorn Park - and got his first root canal. It's important to be very careful with older animals like Bengali when working on them, and Dr. Shagam has been a big help in this regard.

A close-up shows Bengali's broken canine.

Popcorn Park is very grateful to Dr. Shagam who has offered his time to help out with our animals for over 25 years. In that time, he has done dentistry on Bunky, Lacey, and Sheena, our lions, Hawkeye the monkey, and many others, giving them relief from painful problems with their teeth.

When not helping wild animals, Dr. Ed Shagam is attending to his main activity - dentistry and orthodontics - at his offices in Mt. Holly or Medford.

Please sponsor Bengali - he'd love your support!