a 19-year - old female bengal tiger ( panthera tigris tigris ) was presented 
 with hind limb weakness , ataxia and respiratory distress . 
 computed tomography revealed a 
 mass between the left side of the t7 vertebra and the base of the left 7th rib . 
 the tiger 
 then died , and necropsy was performed . 
 grossly , the vertebral mass was 6  5.7  3 cm , and 
 invaded the adjacent vertebral bone and compressed the t7 spinal cord . 
 histologically , the 
 mass was composed of large , clear , vacuolated and polygonal cells with osteochondral 
 matrix . 
 cellular and nuclear atypia were moderate . 
 the vacuolated cells stained positively 
 for cytokeratin and vimentin and negatively for s-100 . based on these findings 
 , the 
 present case was diagnosed as a vertebral chordoma ; the first report in a tiger .