The Moscow Zoo voluntarily took blood from a snow leopard

For the first time in the 162-year history of the Moscow Zoo, a snow leopard was voluntarily given blood. This was announced on April 10 by the press service of the Moscow zoo.

Snow leopards began to be prepared for blood collection and injections earlier this year. The classes themselves began in mid-January in an equipped room, where there was a deck where animals lie down, as well as a "pocket" for the tail, from which blood is drawn from large cats. The zoo noted that it is much more difficult to train adult individuals than young ones.

"An aged female snow leopard named Dinah, after two months of regular assignments, voluntarily allowed blood to be taken from her tail without anesthesia. Together with Dinah, a male Uncik lives in an aviary located on the old territory of the zoo. He also participates in veterinary training," the publication says.

It is specified that the specialists managed to take blood from Dinah's vein in March. The second leopard, Uncik, is also making progress: he allows specialists to take the tail and touch it with a syringe.

"One zoologist manipulates the tail, shaves off a small section and prepares it for blood collection. At this time, another employee is simultaneously feeding the snow leopard with treats. <...> The animal receives them as a positive reinforcement for a successfully completed task," the press service noted.

This procedure is considered one of the most important parts of the veterinary training program, and it requires building a trusting relationship between the animal and the staff, as well as showing a high level of concentration.

The press service added that regular general clinical and biochemical blood monitoring is important because it allows you to see the condition of the body, detect the disease and begin its premature treatment, as well as track the animal's health status over time.

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All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.