Nyan htoo’s life had already been saved once. But a curious phenomenon began happening to Nyan htoo, the monks noticed: The bear’s tongue would swell to grotesquely large proportions. By June, Nyan htoo’s tongue had enlarged to the point that it lolled out of the side of his mouth, weighing down his head. The World Health Organization categorizes lymphatic filariasis as a “neglected tropical disease,” which covers ailments largely isolated to developing countries. For one bear, they’ve already made a difference: Photos of Nyan htoo post-surgery show him playing with his brother again, now unburdened.

Source: thestar October 26, 2017 17:15 UTC