Nikita, a 21-year-old jaguar at the Reid Park Zoo, is on the mend following a blood transfusion from another jaguar after a veterinarian discovered that her red-blood-cell count was dangerously low.

โ€œSheโ€™s doing remarkably wellโ€ after receiving a transfusion from a jaguar at the Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, said Alexis Moreno, a veterinarian at the zoo.

โ€œThe zooโ€™s keepers had notified me that she was becoming progressively lethargic,โ€ Moreno said of Nikita.

โ€œI did a full workup and found that her red-blood-cell count was dangerously low. Thatโ€™s why she was so weak.โ€

After providing an initial transfusion using blood from house cats, Moreno began contacting zoos around the country that hold jaguars.

She found that a jaguar named Bagheera at Bearizona could supply additional needed blood for Nikita.

โ€œI traveled to Northern Arizona and was able to attain a full amount of blood from Bagheera,โ€ Moreno said. โ€œWe gave it to Nikitaโ€ last week.

โ€œWeโ€™re hoping the medications Iโ€™m giving her will prevent her having to have another transfusion.โ€

A statement issued by Bearizona said that โ€œBearizonaโ€™s male jaguar Bagheera is one of the most beloved critters to call Bearizona home and now he can add โ€˜life saverโ€™ to his list.โ€


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Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@tucson.com or at 573-4192. On Twitter: @DouglasKreutz