One giraffe at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania just got the cutest dental checkup ever.
On little red-billed oxpecker took it upon himself to give the giraffe's teeth a much-needed cleaning. The bird poked and pecked and removed any neglected food that may have been hiding in the giraffe's incisors. Because that's what friends do.
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Russian wildlife photographer Yulia Sundukova managed to capture the unique symbiotic interaction between the two animals on film.
"It was so funny to witness - everything about it was like a trip to the dentist," Sandukova says. "The funniest thing about it was the way the giraffe was standing, it reminded me of how people behave when they're at the dentist - it just wanted the visit to end as soon as possible."
She goes on to say that the relationship really is helpful for both animals.
"They help each other out - the birds get nice food like ticks and larva while the giraffes get nice healthy teeth."
Win-win! Hopefully the giraffe's insurance covered such an extensive cleaning ...