{
  "id": 3527910,
  "title": "Months after poachers hacked off its tusks, Assam elephant undergoes critical dental procedure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/months-after-poachers-hacked-off-its-tusks-assam-elephant-undergoes-3527910",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T14:30:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/assam/months-after-poachers-hacked-off-its-tusks-assam-elephant-undergoes-critical-dental-procedure/article71392359.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Assam's Dibrugarh district, a 16-year-old male elephant named Mangal Singh recently underwent a critical dental procedure five months after poachers removed both tusks near their roots. The poaching incident in April left Mangal Singh with life-threatening injuries, exposing pulp cavities in his tusks and causing severe infection. The Division Forest Officer Rohini Kumar Das explained that the exposed pulp cavities required specialized partial pulpotomy, a dental procedure typically performed on baby teeth. A team of experts from the Wildlife Trust of India, led by Bhaskar Choudhury, performed the dental procedure, ensuring post-operative care for the next seven days. The case of Mangal Singh highlights the severe consequences of illegal ivory trade and the need for stronger protection measures against wildlife criminals.",
  "summary": "Veterinary experts perform complex pulpotomy on 16-year-old Mangal Singh to treat severe infection after the tusks were sawed off near their roots",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Months after poachers hacked off its tusks, Assam elephant undergoes critical dental procedure",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/months-after-poachers-hacked-off-its-tusks-assam-elephant-undergoes",
        "published": "2026-08-26T14:30:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}