Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens celebrating successful elephant tusk surgery

Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is celebrating a successful surgery involving their 29-year-old African elephant, Ali.

The zoo says Ali has been receiving ongoing treatment for years for a damaged tusk and infection, but that his dental condition had reached a point where more extensive treatment was needed.

On Tuesday, the zoo says it brought in a team of veterinary and dental specialists to carefully anesthetize Ali, who weighs 11,000 pounds, and then attempt to extract his damaged tusk.

However, the zoo says the team was not able to extract the tusk, but they were able to remove some compromised tissue and confirm the infection was under control. The zoo says the team was also able to file down Ali’s tusk, as it had become very sharp and jagged.

“We are celebrating a successful procedure. Ali’s tooth has been addressed, and he recovered well and is doing nicely. All of our teams performed exceptionally, especially animal health and the elephant crew!" says Dan Maloney, the Deputy Zoo Director.

We're told Ali will continue to receive daily care to clean and treat the sensitive area for the next few weeks, but that he is already walking around and eating comfortably.