Franklin Park Zoo lion could get life-saving blood transfusion from his brother
BOSTON - Two lion brothers at the Franklin Park Zoo are undergoing medical procedures this week - and veterinarians hope it could be life-saving for one of them.
Kamaia, 14, is severely anemic and has been seriously ill recently. The zoo's medical team will put his healthy brother Dinari, also 14, under anesthesia Thursday to see if his blood is a match for a transfusion.
A blood transfusion from Dinari "could give his brother the best chance of survival," the zoo says. Kamaia recovered from severe pneumonia earlier this year, but an exam revealed a greatly enlarged spleen. Veterinarians will perform exploratory surgery on Kamaia Friday to try and figure out the cause of his health issues, and also complete the transfusion if there's a match.
"We remain very concerned about Kamaia and his ongoing serious health issues," Zoo New England animal health director Dr. Chris Bonar said in a statement. "These procedures are approached with great thought and consideration, and while there is risk and many unknowns as to what we could find, this is the best course of action to try and treat Kamaia."
The lions have been at zoo since 2015 and celebrated their birthday in March.
"Dinari and Kamaia were born in the same litter, and are an incredibly close, tightly-bonded pair. These decisions are being carefully considered with both of their best interests in mind," Zoo New England CEO John Linehan said. "The Animal Care and veterinary teams have been working extraordinarily hard to care for Kamaia, and I would like to commend them for their dedication, care and professionalism during this challenging time."