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Samba, a black jaguar at Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven in Dunlop, died on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, after being bitten twice by a rattlesnake.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven<\/p>\n
A black jaguar at a Fresno County wildlife sanctuary died Monday, Aug. 24, after being bitten by a rattlesnake.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the first time a wild cat has died from a snakebite at Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven<\/a> off Highway 180 in Dunlap, according to executive director Dale Anderson.<\/p>\n Samba the jaguar was bitten twice by a venomous snake before being rushed to a trauma center for emergency treatment, Anderson told The Fresno Bee.<\/p>\n Samba received two vials of antivenin, and initial blood work appeared promising. However, she failed to recover from the anesthesia.<\/p>\n \u201cHours later, she stopped breathing, and her heart stopped,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven opened in 1998 on a 93-acre property just west of King\u2019s Canyon National Park, a year after the arrival of the first cats.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about 45 miles east of Fresno.<\/p>\n The Dunlap wildlife sanctuary<\/a> serves as a home to a variety of feline species, including leopards, lynxes and lions.<\/p>\n The nonprofit organization also provides education programs to school groups, churches and others.<\/p>\n Anderson said Samba was born at Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven and lived alongside her sister, Rose.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was just a very sweet cat, and her personality was exceptionally nice,\u201d Anderson said of Samba.<\/p>\n Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven shared news of Samba\u2019s death<\/a> in a Monday post on Facebook.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lost our dear, sweet Samba,\u201d officials said. \u201cOur vet team did everything they could to save her, but she didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n Social media users reacted with messages of sorrow and support.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so sorry to hear this,\u201d Facebook user Lise Dettloff Bruun wrote in a comment on Project Survival\u2019s post, calling Samba \u201csuch a magnificent creature.\u201d \u201cWe know without a doubt you did your absolute best to save her. She could not have gotten any better care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis breaks my heart,\u201d another Facebook user, Jerilane Willis, wrote. \u201cSo very sorry for your loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Facebook user Brenda Bethel called the jaguar\u2019s death a \u201chuge loss of a beautiful creature.\u201d<\/p>\n Why did big cat Samba die from snake bite?<\/p>\n Rattlesnakes are a known hazard in the area surrounding Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven, Anderson said.<\/p>\n Over the past two decades, he said, \u201cWe\u2019ve had maybe six or seven snake bites.\u201d<\/p>\n However, he said, a snake bite has never proved fatal to any of the animals at the sanctuary until now.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 20 years of operation, Samba is the first cat I\u2019ve ever lost to a snakebite,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had other cats bitten, and we\u2019ve been able to give them antivenin and they\u2019ve recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n Samba\u2019s body has been sent to UC Davis for a necropsy that could provide clearer answers about what caused her death.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce we get a necropsy, hopefully we\u2019ll have a better idea of why it happened,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n Are rattlesnakes a problem at Dunlop property?<\/p>\n According to WorldAtlas, the San Joaquin Valley is one of seven \u201crattlesnake hotspots\u201d in the United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Dale](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/roughfire_0911_6.jpeg\" "\\"roughfire_0911_6\\"")
Dale Anderson, founder of Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven in Dunlap, plays with Dianna, a white Bengal tiger at the facility. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What is Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven in Fresno County?<\/p>\n![\"Samba,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/785599995_122284243808957667_7837502337985675072_n.jpg\" "\\"785599995_122284243808957667_7837502337985675072_n.jpg\\"")
Samba, a black jaguar at Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven in Dunlop, died on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, after being bitten twice by a rattlesnake. Courtesy of Project Survival\u2019s Cat Haven in Dunlop Who was black jaguar killed by rattlesnake?<\/p>\n