Elephant receives specialised dental treatment after poaching attack in India

A 16-year-old captive-born elephant named Mangal Singh in Assam received specialised dental treatment after poachers cut off both his tusks, leaving wounds that became infected. A team led by Dr Bhaskar Choudhury of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation performed a partial pulpotomy on 26 Aug 2026 at Margherita, where the elephant lives. The centre is an initiative of IFAW, the Wildlife Trust of India and the Assam Forest Department, and the procedure was carried out under the forest department’s guidance. Poachers attacked the elephant in Apr 2026 in the Dhulijan forest area near Digboi; residents who heard his cries contacted the forest department, and government veterinarians gave emergency treatment. Elephant tusks are incisor teeth containing living tissue, blood vessels and nerves, so cuts close to the root expose the pulp to bacteria. The team planned seven days of intensive post-operative care. A follow-up examination on 14 September found further intervention was needed to address infection in one affected tusk.