Elephant Calf Dies Just Short of Groundbreaking Surgery
Published at(MUNICH) — A baby elephant at a German zoo who suffered from heart problems has passed away. Lola would’ve been the world’s first elephant to have heart surgery to remove a blood clot, but died during preparations for the operation. At just three months, during a CTA scan, the calf suffered from a pulmonary embolism and could not be revived.
Zoo director and veterinarian Dr. Andreas Knieriem commented on Lola’s tragic death to the UK’s Daily Mail: “Considering the pathology, it has to be said it’s a miracle that she lived as long as she did. Her arteries were so blocked that blood couldn’t flow through her lungs anymore.”
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