Animals - Aquariums - Archeology - Insects - Fossils - Zoos
Jan. 01, 1958 - Big mouth trouble: On some occasions it is difficult to keep a big mouth shut but in the case of the hippopotamus it's quite the reverse especially when it has tooth trouble, overgrown teeth that have to be handled every 18 months. Hippo teeth can be saw off easily but to do it you have to keep its mouth open long enough for the operation, which isn't so easy as hippos don't like to open their mouths, and have to be fooled into it. This is done by two people, one rubs around the neck and the other the lower jaw. Usually this massage trick works, and the big-mouth giant opens up but just how long it remains open is entirely up to the hippo. Photo shows youngsters at the Metropolitan Zoo in Tokyo, Japan look on as a hippo has a tooth sawn off after being encouraged to open its mouth
