A lion in a New England zoo helped save his brother’s life Friday by giving him a blood transfusion.
Dinari, the 14-year-old male lion who lives at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts, underwent a procedure on Friday to determine if his blood would be usable and collectable for his brother, Kamaia, who is also 14 and lives at the zoo but had been feeling under the weather. Both lions have been at the zoo since 2015.
Earlier in the week, Kamaia was lethargic and experiencing a decreased appetite, the zoo said in a press release. When doctors examined the lion, they realized that he was anemic and had a very enlarged spleen, prompting them to see if Dinari could help his brother.
Friday’s 3-hour procedure on Kamaia, which revealed that the spleen was twice as large as it was supposed to be, was successful, the zoo said, and Kamaia was able to have a splenectomy and blood transfusion completed using donations from Dinari.
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The blood given by Dinari will help Kamaia have a greater chance of health and life moving forward; zoo officials are hopeful he will feel better soon, said Chris Bonar, director of animal health for Zoo New England, in a statement.
“This was a major surgery, and we will continue to monitor him closely to ensure that he is comfortable and recovering well,” Bonar said. “Blood transfusions are not often performed in zoological settings because it can be difficult to find a suitable donor. Because Kamaia and his brother were littermates, Dinari was the perfect donor for this much needed transfusion.”
John Linehan, the president and chief executive officer or the Zoo New England, said they have been “touched” by the support of the two lions as they recover.
“The work done over the past two days has been extraordinary, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team. We remain hopeful that Kamaia has a smooth recovery,” Linehan said.
Kamaia will live in his off-exhibit area for the time being while he recovers and is cared for.
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