Zoo's Elderly Jaguar Gets a Teeth Cleaning

An elderly jaguar has been given a clean bill of health following a trip to the doctor last week

Two veterinarians and six animal care experts were on hand as 17-year-old Mulac underwent a routine exam, including a full teeth cleaning, some X-rays, blood tests and a full body exam.

Mulac, who lives at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla., was anesthetized for more than two hours while vets checked him out. He later woke up in his habitat.

"Mulac is in great condition for his age," said Dr. Trevor Zachariah, director of veterinary programs at the Zoo. "His joints look good and he’s at a healthy weight of 110 pounds.

"Jaguars in human care tend to live to be about 18, so he is showing typical signs of aging like heavy plaque on his teeth, but we didn’t find any cause for major concern."

Mulac is one of three jaguars at the zoo.

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