Baylor Live Mascot Treated at Texas A&M Medical Center
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Baylor and Texas A&M spent nearly a century battling on and off the football field. Both known for their rich educational backgrounds in the state of Texas, the Aggies and Bears would battle it out on the field and in the classrooms.
Still, the two schools have mutual respect, lending a helping hand when need be. This past week, A&M stepped forward to help a large member of the Baylor family.
A near-500 pound member of their family.
The school announced Thursday that Lady, one of the University’s two American Black Bear mascots, is undergoing innovative, noninvasive radiation treatment for a benign cranial mediastinal mass, or thymoma, in her chest.
The tumor was found during a routine wellness examination with veterinarians at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
Although no external signs of treatment are expected, Lady will be monitored closely and assessed by her care team to ensure her comfort and recovery. The Aggies staff will be there to help should further problems occur down the line.
Lady returned to Waco, just 90 miles northwest of College Station, as of Thursday morning. She is under constant care at the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat.
“Baylor University celebrates many beloved traditions, but few bring as much joy to students, alumni and friends, and as many rich opportunities to interact with and educate young people in Central Texas as our live bear mascots, Joy and Lady. They are a cherished part of the Baylor Family,” President Linda A. Livingstone wrote.
"We are grateful to have access to a remarkable team with the expertise needed for Lady’s care,” Livingstone wrote. “Our priority is Lady’s comfort and wellbeing. Following the treatments, we will visit again with the veterinary team. We are optimistic about the results and Lady’s health.”
Lady and her older biological sister, Joy, 18, live and are taken of on-campus by local students, fully accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Class C Zoo. The habitat is one of the most visited spots on the school's campus, welcoming more than 250,000 visitors each year.