Damaged Captive Orca Teeth (IMAGE)

University of Otago

Damaged Captive Orca Teeth

Caption

An international research team has undertaken the first in-depth investigation of the teeth of captive orca (killer whales) and have found them a sorry state, which raises serious concerns for these majestic mammals' overall health and welfare. Anyone with a toothache knows how painful and distracting that can be - in orca which have around 48 large teeth, a sore tooth is likely no less painful or debilitating than for a person. Now, a new international study published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology, found that every individual examined had damaged teeth.

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Ingrid N. Visser, Orca Research Trust

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Please credit Ingrid N. Visser, Orca Research Trust.

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