A Zoo Miami employee was rushed to the hospital Friday after falling ill while helping immobilize a greater kudu antelope that was being prepared for transfer to another facility. The worker was given Narcan and taken to Jackson South Medical Center for evaluation, and was reported to be stable and under medical observation.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, the employee became ill during a routine immobilization procedure while helping secure the antelope's head so staff could run necessary tests ahead of the animal's shipment. The zoo said it had administered thiafentanil, described as a potent opioid, to the kudu as part of the process.
Zoo Miami said the exact cause of the employee's symptoms had not been confirmed, but that potential inadvertent dermal exposure to the drug through the antelope's saliva was being considered as a possibility. The station's report notes the employee was given Narcan and transported to Jackson South Medical Center for evaluation and observation.
Zoo Says Operations Were Not Disrupted
Per the same account, the incident did not impact Zoo Miami's broader operations, and the zoo described the employee as stable and remaining under medical observation. Local 10 similarly reported that the employee was hospitalized Friday morning after becoming ill during the procedure involving the greater kudu, which was being prepared for transfer to another facility.
What Thiafentanil Exposure Can Look Like
Thiafentanil is among the potent opioid compounds used to immobilize large wildlife, and federal drug labeling offers some context for why handlers take precautions around it. A product label filed with the FDA for the drug THIANIL warns that animals immobilized with the compound may show opioid effects such as changes in heart or breathing rate and depressed respiration, and it advises that personnel be made aware of those potential effects.
Separately, a 2010 paper published in Veterinary Record found that cases of intoxication involving potent opioids, including thiafentanil, have required treatment with antagonists such as naloxone, nalmefene, or naltrexone. That research does not speak to the specifics of Friday's incident at Zoo Miami, but it underscores why handlers of such drugs keep reversal agents like Narcan on hand during wildlife procedures.
