Getting straight to the root of a feline problem

(AP)

When an enormous Siberian tiger has a toothache, you need to find a very brave dentist.

And Dr Doug Luiten was just that when he performed a root canal procedure on Kunali – a full-grown, 300lb big cat measuring nearly 7ft from nose to tail – at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.

"It's the longest tooth I've ever worked on," Dr Luiten said of the canine, which was more than 3in (7.6cm) long. The zoo had to order special instruments to deal with the massive tooth.

Fortunately. Kunali did not wake up during the hour-long operation. "He was a good boy, he handled things well," said the anaesthetist,. David Brunson.

Hours after the procedure, seven-year-old Kunali was said to be doing fine.