In this Friday, Feb., 6, 2015 photo, provided by the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, veterinarians and support staff work to remove three broken or decayed teeth from a 29-year-old polar bear at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash. The 880-pound bear, called Boris, is one of the oldest polar bears in North American zoos and has lived nearly twice as long as polar bears in the wild. (AP Photo/Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Ingrid Barrentine)
Boris the 29-year-old polar bear is eating only soft foods for a while after having surgery to remove three broken or decayed teeth at a Washington state zoo.
The 880-pound bear who lives at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, didn't have to sit in a dentist's chair for the procedure. Boris sprawled out on a table as veterinarians and support staff extracted his problem teeth Friday.
The zoo says Boris is one of the oldest polar bears in North American zoos. He's lived nearly twice as long as polar bears in the wild.
Boris came to the zoo in 2002 after he was rescued from a traveling circus. He's one of three polar bears at the facility's Arctic tundra exhibit.
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