Jacksonville Zoo elephant undergoes surgery successfully

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens reported that its 29-year-old elephant, Ali, successfully underwent surgery on his tusk.

After years of receiving treatment for a damaged tusk and an infection, Ali's condition reached a point that could no longer be managed without surgical intervention.

PHOTOS: Jacksonville Zoo performed successful surgery on elephant

The surgeons were not able to extract the tusk, but it was trimmed and filled, and compromised tissue around the tusk was removed.

The entire procedure took three hours.

Ali will be monitored for the next few weeks but he is already walking around and eating comfortably.

The zoo's deputy director, Dan Maloney, said, “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!”

Cox Media Group