Cincinnati Zoo aardvark receives life-saving blood transfusion from Columbus Zoo animal

Cincinnati Enquirer

Ali, an 18-year-old aardvark at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, received a life-saving blood transfusion last month.

Two Ohio zoos worked together to save an ailing aardvark last month.

Ali, an 18-year-old aardvark at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, is on the road to recovery, thanks to a blood donation she received from “Kiazi," a nine-year-old aardvark from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Cincinnati Zoo announced Monday.

Ali was transported to Columbus prior to the donation to see Dr. Jamie Berning, a veterinary dentist at Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery of Ohio. According to a press release, Ali suffered from several dental issues due to her unique jaw shape, including a severe tooth infection.

The infected teeth were surgically removed to prevent further damage to Ali's jaw and nasal passages, and she returned to the Cincinnati Zoo after surgery. However, bloodwork showed that nosebleeds related to her infection caused her red blood cell count to drop to a dangerously low level, and she needed a blood transfusion.

Veterinarians performed oral surgery on Ali, an 18-year-old aardvark, in December.

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“Ali was also very tired, would not eat and would not move around much because she was so weak from her low blood levels," said Jess Heinz, an associate veterinarian at the Cincinnati Zoo. "Aardvarks are a unique species and cannot receive cat or dog blood, so she needed blood from another aardvark.”

The Columbus Zoo came to the rescue

Veterinarians at the Columbus Zoo collected blood from “Kiazi," a nine-year-old aardvark at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, in December.

A nearby zoo was able to help. Within a few hours on Dec. 15, the Columbus Zoo collected blood from one of its adult female aardvarks. Veterinarians at the Cincinnati Zoo then performed a blood transfusion and rechecked Ali's dental surgical site.

The procedure worked.

The zoo reports that Ali was active and interacting with her care staff again once she awoke.

“Ali still has a long road ahead of her. She is still recovering from her dental procedure and will return to Dr. Berning for a second dental procedure in the future,” Heinz said.

Veterinarians at the Cincinnati Zoo performed a blood transfusion on Ali, an 18-year-old aardvark, on Dec. 15.

Blood transfusions in aardvarks are uncommon, according to the zoo. The vet team used its extensive knowledge of exotic species to anticipate complications and weigh the risk of treatment for Ali.

“We cherish these relationships with specialists and fellow zoos and look forward to continued collaboration," Heinz said.