Why Would a Zoo Trim an Elephant's Tusks? The Answer Is Surprisingly Practical
Some animal videos on TikTok make us laugh or cry. Others have us glued to our seats, wanting to see the end. But this elephant clip will feel like the most educational thing you've ever seen on social. In it, the zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo carefully remove part of the tusk from their bull elephant and walk us through this important routine.
The caption gives us the details, "It is important to carry out these dental procedures on Ming Jung to ensure his tusks continue to grow strong and healthy... Our ... Asian elephants at our conservation zoo are not only important ambassadors, but play an active role in helping to ensure the future of their species in the wild." This bull elephant doesn't even get mad during his tusk maintenance.
@whipsnadezoo Ming Jung It is important to carry out these dental procedures on Ming Jung to ensure his tusks continue to grow strong and healthy. Through ZSL, we're working around the world to protect all three species of elephants – Asian elephants, African elephants and African forest elephants. Our herd of Asian elephants at our conservation Zoo are not only important ambassadors, but play an active role in helping to ensure the future of their species in the wild.
original sound - Whipsnade Zoo
Commenters jumped in to praise the zoo vets, but they also had follow-up questions. "Did it hurt him???" @Jamaicanjack101 asked. Don't worry, it didn't. Here's how this process works.
Related: Orphaned Baby Elephant Giving Herself a Dirt Bath Is Cute as Can Be
Why Some Zoos Trim Elephant Tusks for Health and Safety
This is going to sound weird at first, but tusks are essentially teeth. World Wildlife Fund explains it well: "Ivory tusks are actually massive teeth that protrude well beyond the mouths of elephants." However, only the roots and base (called the pulp cavity) contain nerve endings and blood. The ends are functionally more like fingernails (even though they're still made of ivory).
In the wild, tusks wear down naturally, but at the zoo, this doesn't generally happen. The Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute tells us more about why they trim the tusks, "A broken tusk can sometimes split up the tusk and impact the pulp cavity. This can be very painful and risks associated serious infections." They also say that long tusks get in the way for some elephants.
Luckily, Ming Jung successfully had his tusk trimmed and got some banana treats in the process! As the zookeeper in the clip states, "It's all built on trust."
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 4:20 PM.