At 9 a.m. on Monday, staff at Project Survival's Cat Haven in Dunlap noticed Samba, the sanctuary's 14‑year‑old black jaguar, lying in her den instead of roaming as usual. Founder Dale Anderson reported that her left paw was swollen to twice its normal size, extending up the leg. The animal was immediately transported to Fresno Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center.
Veterinarians anaesthetised Samba and administered two doses of antivenom after blood tests confirmed envenomation. The venom level dropped near zero, but hours later her heart stopped during the recovery from anaesthesia. Chest compressions and medications failed to revive her, and she died en route to the lab.
Samba's death comes amid a rattlesnake season that has already recorded 277 bites statewide, roughly the upper end of the 290‑390 annual range. Anderson noted that the sanctuary's 93‑acre grounds have seen at least six previous snake bites this year, all survivors. The warm start to the year has pushed snakes and humans into contact earlier than usual, experts say.
Cat Haven has adopted a non‑lethal approach, relocating snakes off the big‑cat zones rather than killing them. So far, 14 snakes have been moved this year. The sanctuary plans increased monitoring and staff training to mitigate future encounters as the snake season continues.