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TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Glacier, a polar bear at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, has been diagnosed with liver cancer and heart disease.
The News Tribune newspaper reports (http://is.gd/Q9Hgk8 ) that veterinarians are working with specialists to craft a treatment plan for the 19-year-old polar bear.
Glacier came to the zoo in 1997 after being orphaned in the wild. The health problems were initially discovered as a result of a routine Feb. 21 physical examination. The zoo said a follow-up electrocardiogram confirmed the heart issues, and an abdominal ultrasound test showed a malignant liver tumor.
The zoo says that according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the median life expectancy for a male polar bear in the wild is a little under 21 years.
Point Defiance has two other polar bears — 19-year-old Blizzard and 29-year-old Boris. They are on exhibit in the zoo's Arctic Tundra area.
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Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com
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