SEATTLE — Water Lily—Woodland Park Zoo’s 45-year-old hippopotamus—underwent dental surgery on Wednesday, according to a blog post.
The north Seattle zoo said Thursday Lily is “healing well” after “undergoing a complex anesthetic procedure.”
The dental surgery on the “geriatric hippo” was to “address a wound in the back of Lily’s jaw which has become abscessed, and veterinarians believe it may be related to a tooth problem,” the zoo said. Lily’s keepers initially observed changes in her teeth while looking in her mouth, the zoo added.
Lily, who was born at the Houston Zoo, moved to Woodland Park Zoo in 1979, according to the zoo, adding that she weighs 2,700 pounds. Hippos in the wild typically live until about 40, and in zoos they live into their 50s, Woodland Park Zoo said.
“Lily did very well during the procedure and is now recuperating from anesthesia,” Animal Health Director Dr. Tim Storms said in a follow-up blog post. “We happily discovered that although Lily has numerous worn and missing teeth due to her age, she does not have an infected tooth related to the jaw wound, nor did she require any tooth extractions.”
“Additionally, we were able to thoroughly evaluate her cheek swelling,” Storms added. “The biological samples we collected and the information we learned today will give us a comprehensive assessment of her health and guide her medical care.”
Despite the “inherent risks” of surgery, the procedure is manageable and necessary to address the issue, prevent infection and other potential complications, according to Woodland Park Zoo. Lily was fully anesthetized for the first time, the zoo said, which is a “massive undertaking.”
The zoo said the surgery involved 30 staffers and a “veterinary dentist, Dr. Michael Lowder, who specializes in mega vertebrate patients and traveled to Seattle to work alongside the zoo’s animal health team.”
“All of our animals here at Woodland Park Zoo receive advanced medical care and this procedure is needed to ensure the wellbeing of Lily,” said Storms. “Our team has many years of combined expertise in large animal anesthesia. We will be using advanced rigging techniques to move her into position while she is asleep, to keep her safe and avoid injuries to participants. While Lily is under anesthesia, animal keepers will massage her muscles to decrease muscular injury and soreness following her recovery.”
Storms said it’s common for hippos to develop dental problems as they age.
“In addition to evaluating her teeth and treating her wound, this procedure is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about her health status and ensure that we are providing her with the best possible care,” Storms added.
Lily shares a hippo habitat in Seattle with Guadalupe, better known as Lupe, a 25-year-old who was born in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, according to the zoo. Lupe moved to Seattle in 2003 and weighs in at 2,900 pounds.
“Lily and Lupe are inquisitive animals who have developed close relationships with their caregivers and keepers,” Woodland Park Zoo said. “They love treats, like munching on whole heads of lettuce, or playing with watermelons and pumpkins in their pool.”
