Good News! Popcorn Park Zoo's Caesar The Tiger Expected To Fully Recover

Caesar, one of the Popcorn Park Zoo's favorite residents, and his handlers got some great news today.

"Caesar’s biopsy came back this morning and everything is GGGGGRRRrreat!!!" according to a post on the shelter's Facebook page. "The mass was benign and his bloodwork also came back very good. What a relief. We are so thankful for all your prayers and well wishes."

The pathologist's report said the mass removed from the big cat's elbow last week was an apocrine ductular adenomas, a benign grown that does not reoccur with complete excision.

"The incision site is healing nicely and he isn’t bothering it," the post states. "So when the weather finally stays a bit warmer come on out and say “Hey” to Caesar."

The staff that cares for the big cat in Lacey Township noticed blood stains on Caesar's bench recently while they were cleaning his area, said zoo director John Bergmann.

"We didn't see anything on him and assumed it could have been from his on Friday meal," according to the Zoo's Facebook post. "He might have brought the slab of meat up onto his bench. But the following morning, there were again blood drops on the floor of his den and we knew something wasn't right."

Popcorn Park veterinarians Paluch and Bergmann were notified and found a mass the size of a walnut just below his elbow. They quickly removed the mass and sent it out for a biopsy.

Caesar was the third of four tigers the zoo rescued from Texas in 2005.

"Caesar was in very poor health at the facility where he was raised, and needed a great deal of medical attention over time to bring him up to snuff," the post states. "Today he is the picture of health and enjoys the best of everything. Our Popcorn Park director attests to Caesar's sweet nature, but also observes that he is not quite as mentally quick as the others. We know Caesar would be happy to have some new sponsors (and visitors!), so don't be shy .. give him some love!"

Image: Associated Human Societies Popcorn Park Facebook page.