FRANCE: Californian sea lions eager to rid their fish breath for their French visitors

Who would have thought that sea lions cared about their fishy breath? At the Nausicaa (the French National Sea Experience Centre), complex and marine research Institute in France, their Californian sea lions have been introduced to the joys of clean teeth and fresh sparkling breath. Dental care in zoo's is a relatively new thing, the growing awareness of the importance of certain animal teeth has led to specialized instruments being produced. But for marine mammals gleaming gnashers have never been a priority......until now. Head Sea Lion Keeper Jean-Luc Bourgain and his assistants now try to clean the sea lions' teeth every day to stop tartar building up. The unique thing about this ritual is that no special instruments are used, just a traditional tooth brush and normal toothpaste for humans. It's part of their strict hygiene regime at Nausicaa and is essentially preventative care. Sea lions are a popular attraction in many marine parks around the world, especially with their comical displays and clown like behaviour. They thrive on a diet of fish but at Nausicaa fresh breath and clean teeth are top of the agenda, and this means that these mammals have a daily routine to clean their teeth just like their human trainers. Dental treatment for marine mammals comes from the USA where many establishments work with dolphins and whales; this preventative treatment has now been extended to sea lions. Sea lions have the same problems with their teeth as humans, which means they need regular care, every day. The first obstacle is to get them used to the smell of toothpaste. The staff at "Nausicaa" use regular toothbrushes and paste. The sea lions are accustomed to the procedure and readily open their jaws for inspection and cleaning. Once finished, they rinse the paste away just like their human counterparts. Aside from the daily shows to entertain visitors the sea lions are also put through their paces in the 'classroom' where they are tasked with identifying various letters and shapes to aid their sensory development. Nausicaa's primary aim is to raise public awareness about the importance of managing the oceans and their resources and has seen over 8 million visitors, since it opened. A quirky story.

ITN Source | May 6, 2006

Tags:. .attraction. .various. .staff. .identifying. .comical