Children's Zoo tree kangaroo has root canal
She’s sprawled unconscious on the operating table of the cramped office as the drill whizzes and grinds into her rotting incisor.
It’s your basic root canal surgery, the universally dreaded operation in which dentists unearth infected tooth pulp.
But this isn’t your normal trip to the dentist. For one, well, the patient isn’t human.
Milla (pronounced Mee-la) is a 6-year-old Matschie’s tree kangaroo who’s lived in the Lincoln Children’s Zoo since 2003. On Thursday morning, she had her first root canal.
Weighing 17 pounds, boasting two-inch long claws and covered in tan and mahogany fur, Milla looks more like a stuffed animal than a member of the marsupial family.
Although the surgery at the Nebraska Animal Medical Center is not considered a dangerous procedure, this particular instance is a little nerve-racking.
The stakes are high, because Milla is part of an increasingly endangered species whose survival might rest on the success of this procedure.
Milla is a reproducer, so it’s vital she stays healthy.
“In captivity,” says Randy Scheer, animal curator of the Children’s Zoo, “as far as reproduction goes, it’s very, very, very rare. I’d say in the last 10 years, there’s been 10 births. She’s had two of them.”
And her offspring, Diego and Libby, already have continued the family tree with their respective mates.
Estimates vary, but studies indicate there are just more than 1,000 Matchie’s tree kangaroos left in the wild. They live in the dense, tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea, where logging and oil exploration is increasing rapidly.
To prepare for any conceivable problems in Milla’s surgery, three veterinarians, three dentists and a few keepers are jammed into the room, along with a few curious spectators.
Kent Forney, of the Nebraska Animal Medical Center, begins drilling on the second infected tooth. Everything’s going fine, but there’s still that look of pained concern on the faces of Scheer and Davi Ann Buggi, Milla’s keeper.
“I’m sorry if I seem a little distracted,” Scheer says as he looks into the room. “It’s like it’s my own child in there.”
A few minutes later, the operation is complete. Milla slowly drifts back to consciousness.
Micah Kohles, a Children’s Zoo vet who assisted in the operation, says he didn’t want to dwell on Milla’s rarity — the fact that she makes up a massive percent of her species’ reproduction capabilities — at least not during the procedure.
“Yeah,” he says, relieved with the surgery’s success, “we don’t like to talk about that until after we’re done.”
Milla will meet her new mate, 21-month-old Noru, Sunday, and zoo officials hope she’ll make a go for her third child.
Reach Micah Mertes at 473-7395 or mmertes@journalstar.com.
It’s your basic root canal surgery, the universally dreaded operation in which dentists unearth infected tooth pulp.
But this isn’t your normal trip to the dentist. For one, well, the patient isn’t human.
Milla (pronounced Mee-la) is a 6-year-old Matschie’s tree kangaroo who’s lived in the Lincoln Children’s Zoo since 2003. On Thursday morning, she had her first root canal.
Weighing 17 pounds, boasting two-inch long claws and covered in tan and mahogany fur, Milla looks more like a stuffed animal than a member of the marsupial family.
Although the surgery at the Nebraska Animal Medical Center is not considered a dangerous procedure, this particular instance is a little nerve-racking.
The stakes are high, because Milla is part of an increasingly endangered species whose survival might rest on the success of this procedure.
Milla is a reproducer, so it’s vital she stays healthy.
“In captivity,” says Randy Scheer, animal curator of the Children’s Zoo, “as far as reproduction goes, it’s very, very, very rare. I’d say in the last 10 years, there’s been 10 births. She’s had two of them.”
And her offspring, Diego and Libby, already have continued the family tree with their respective mates.
Estimates vary, but studies indicate there are just more than 1,000 Matchie’s tree kangaroos left in the wild. They live in the dense, tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea, where logging and oil exploration is increasing rapidly.
To prepare for any conceivable problems in Milla’s surgery, three veterinarians, three dentists and a few keepers are jammed into the room, along with a few curious spectators.
Kent Forney, of the Nebraska Animal Medical Center, begins drilling on the second infected tooth. Everything’s going fine, but there’s still that look of pained concern on the faces of Scheer and Davi Ann Buggi, Milla’s keeper.
“I’m sorry if I seem a little distracted,” Scheer says as he looks into the room. “It’s like it’s my own child in there.”
A few minutes later, the operation is complete. Milla slowly drifts back to consciousness.
Micah Kohles, a Children’s Zoo vet who assisted in the operation, says he didn’t want to dwell on Milla’s rarity — the fact that she makes up a massive percent of her species’ reproduction capabilities — at least not during the procedure.
“Yeah,” he says, relieved with the surgery’s success, “we don’t like to talk about that until after we’re done.”
Milla will meet her new mate, 21-month-old Noru, Sunday, and zoo officials hope she’ll make a go for her third child.
Reach Micah Mertes at 473-7395 or mmertes@journalstar.com.
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