There’s a new golden grin lighting up Monarto Safari Park, and it belongs to one very resilient hyena.
Three-year-old spotted hyena Jabali has received a custom-made metal alloy crown as part of a dental procedure that has restored function to his jaw following a traumatic early-life injury.
Jabali’s journey began when he was just four months old, after another hyena bit him on the muzzle. While he recovered from the initial injury, the damage left lasting deformities to his upper jaw, affecting the way his teeth and mouth developed as he grew.
Zoos SA veterinarian Dr Oliver Funnell shared, “We needed to wait until he reached skeletal maturity to fully understand how this would affect his teeth and how his mouth would function.”
Once fully grown, Jabali was referred to Australian Veterinary Dental and Oral Surgery (AVDOS), where specialists carried out a full dental assessment and CT scan. The scans revealed multiple dental abnormalities linked to the original injury, requiring an intricate combination of tooth removal, reshaping and restoration work.
“One of his upper premolars was damaged and had lost all its enamel, but it was still salvageable,” shared Dr Funnell. “Rather than removing it, we were able to place a custom metal alloy crown over the tooth, which has allowed him to maintain proper function.” The result is a striking gold-coloured cap that restores strength and function to his bite.
“It might look gold when it catches the light, but what’s most important is that it allows him to use his mouth properly.” For a hyena, that’s a pretty big deal.
Known for their famously powerful jaws and bone-crushing bite force, spotted hyenas rely heavily on strong teeth to process food and maintain their overall wellbeing. While Jabali still has a slightly unusual jaw alignment from the injury, the surgery has made sure he can eat comfortably and function normally moving forward.
“He does have a distinctive smile, but functionally he’s in a really good place,” Dr Funnell said.
Jabali will continue to undergo regular dental monitoring as he ages, with the veterinary team keeping a close eye on any future changes.
This advanced level of veterinary care is possible in modern conservation zoos, where tailored treatments can make a huge difference to an animal’s quality of life. But for visitors heading to Monarto, it means there’s now an extra reason to keep an eye out during feeding time. If the light catches just right, you might spot Jabali’s shiny new golden tooth glinting back at you.
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