Dunlap Acres, California – A rare black jaguar’s death was announced this week by Project Survival’s Cat Haven in California. According to the sanctuary’s social media post, the big cat, Samba, died after being bitten twice by a venomous snake.
Samba was administered antivenin, but she stopped breathing. Mysteriously, a necropsy on her body revealed the antivenin did its job, but she still stopped breathing. The Sanctuary said, “We sent Samba for a necropsy to UC Davis lab. The antivenin had reduced the echinocytes from 100% to 0% and had done its job. Hopefully we will find out why she stopped breathing.”
Samba was born at Project Survival’s Cat Haven and she was 14 years old.
In a statement, the Sanctuary said:
“This is the first time in 28 years, and hopefully the last, that we have lost a cat due to a snake bite. Samba received extraordinary veterinary treatment but succumbed to the venom … We will miss her greatly.”
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