Our favorite Bizarre File story of the day!
Now THAT is one big ass bear tongue. Insert your very own “tongue-in-cheek” joke here. The tongue was so big, in fact, that it had to be surgically removed. A team from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal School of Veterinary Studies carried out the operation. The poor bear, named Nyan htoo (which means “bright”), had a tongue so large that it dragged on the ground as he walked. Nyan htoo had been suffering from a mystery illness since he was a cub. He is said to be “recovering well” after his four-hour operation.
During the surgery, the team removed about 7 pounds of tissue from the bear’s tongue. Because that tongue was so heavy, Nyan Htoo often had to rest his head against his cage to support the weight:
The good news? The operation was a success! Despite his condition, Nyan Htoo was still able to play with his brother. The two bears were in jeopardy of being sold illegally in China, but instead, they were rescued by monks at a monastery in Myanmar. Thank goodness for those monks!
According to this article on Newsweek.com, “Elephantiasis is commonly observed in people in Myanmar but has never been reported in bears”, so the illness remains a mystery!