Why is this monkey in Pangasinan always smiling? Doc Nielsen comes to the rescue

Meet Smiley, a female monkey in Pangasinan who was always baring her teeth.

But apparently, behind the smile was a painful struggle that the monkey had been silently carrying.

In an episode of "Born to be Wild," Doc Nielsen Donato visited a wildlife rescue center in Mangatarem, Pangasinan after receiving a distress call from caretaker Pedro Aleta Jr.

Pedro had been worried because Smiley had been losing weight.

It was then that Doc Nielsen revealed that when a monkey smiles, it means it is "terrified."

"Kapag ang unggoy ay ngumingiti, ang ibig sabihin nito, takot sila. Stressed sila," he said.

Smiley was a rescue animal who still had a chain wrapped around her waist. After freeing her from the metal, Doc Nielsen gave her a check up and found that there was some bleeding in her mouth.

The source of Smiley's distress? A rotten and infected tooth. This was the reason that she could not eat.

Doc Nielsen put Smiley to sleep and conducted a dental operation to remove the tooth. The procedure took over half an hour.

"Hindi porket this is an animal we encounter all the time, 'di na namin aasikasuhin 'yung kanyang problema sa ngipin. She is still an important wildlife, it just so happens na napunta siya dito sa rescue center," he said.

Two days later, Pedro happily reported that Smiley was all better.

She was not smiling anymore, but for once, this is a good thing! —JCB, GMA News