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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6 Comments
Rest In Peace Beautiful Samba. I truly hope this is a horrible lesson to be learned by her caretakers. Knowing that there are poisonous snakes in the surrounding area (bc they had antivenin) The should have had professional snake wranglers on a daily basis going through the property checking for poisonous snakes and Samba would still be alive and well. I pray that they are now doing this. The cost of paying professionals definitely outweighs the life of their animals.
Why would it be even allowed for poisonous snakes to be be free to move a rod he same compound as these beautiful big cats. There is no excuse for this .these cats should have been better protected. They took measures to prevent this happening again after the fact but that’s a little late for Samba and considering she was a rare animal to begin with this was absolute recklessness on the part of the people that ran this Cat Haven. ASSHOLES !!!
How would you go about preventing this from happening? Put up a sign that says, “No Snakes Allowed?
Why would it be even allowed for poisonous snakes to be be free to move a rod he same compound as these beautiful big cats. There is no excuse for this .these cats should have been better protected. They took measures to prevent this happening again after the fact but that’s a little late for Samba and considering she was a rare animal to begin with this was absolute recklessness on the part of the people that ran this Cat Haven. ASSHOLES !!!
Perhaps @ 14 years old, not all, but some jaguars may not have the same health & stamina to withstand two bites from a young, healthy rattlesnake w/ peak strength venom. A lot could depend on jaguar’s start in life, the natural antibodies in the mother’s colostrum if she nursed from her natural mother @ birth, etc..
Perhaps @ 14 years old, not all, but some jaguars may not have the same health & stamina to withstand two bites from a young, healthy rattlesnake w/ peak strength venom. A lot could depend on jaguar’s start in life, the natural antibodies in the mother’s colostrum if she nursed from her natural mother @ birth, etc..