Brotherly love: Franklin Park Zoo lion donates blood for transfusion to save his brother’s life

Lindsey Thorpe
·2 min read
1
Brotherly love: Franklin Park Zoo lion donates blood for transfusion to save his brother’s life

You can say it’s an example of one brother helping another.

Dinari, a 14-year-old male lion at Franklin Park Zoo, underwent a short procedure in order for the Zoo’s veterinary team to collect blood for his 14-year-old brother, Kamaia, who has been experiencing serious health issues.

Zoo officials announced Friday that Kamaia, who is severely anemic, underwent a successful splenectomy and blood transfusion. Recently, Kamaia has struggled with severe pneumonia and anemia. Last week, doctors discovered his spleen was greatly enlarged.

During Kamaia’s 3-hour surgery on Friday, doctors said his spleen was twice the size it should be. Samples from his spleen are being sent out for further testing, and results are not expected for about a week, zoo officials said.

“Now that his spleen has been removed and he has received the blood transfusion, we are hopeful that he will be feeling better very soon. This was a major surgery, and we will continue to monitor him closely to ensure that he is comfortable and recovering well,” said Dr. Chris Bonar, Zoo New England Director of Animal Health. “Blood transfusions are not often performed in zoological settings because it can difficult to find a suitable donor. Because Kamaia and his brother were littermates, Dinari was the perfect donor for this much-needed transfusion.”

Kamaia is expected to remain in his off-exhibit space for the next few weeks so that his care team can closely monitor him while he continues to recover.

“We have been so touched by the tremendous outpouring of support for the lion brothers and our incredible team who works so hard to care for them,” said John Linehan, Zoo New England President and CEO. “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.”

Dinari and Kamaia have resided at Franklin Park Zoo since 2015. The zoo said it will provide updates on the lions recovery.

Dinari, a 14-year-old male lion at Franklin Park Zoo, will have a medical procedure on Thursday with the hope that it will help his brother, Kamaia, who has serious health issues, zoo officials said.
Dinari, a 14-year-old male lion at Franklin Park Zoo, will have a medical procedure on Thursday with the hope that it will help his brother, Kamaia, who has serious health issues, zoo officials said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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