Zoologists Shocked When Oklahoma City Lioness Grows Rare Mane
A zoologist is totally confused after a lioness in Oklahoma city started growing a main. This 18-year-old lioness is at the Oklahoma City Zoo. ABC News shared the details about what is going on with this lioness and why it has everyone puzzled.
This all started back in 2017 when Bridget, an African lioness, started to grow a mane. The extra hair is on her neck and head, which makes her look like a lion. They still don’t know what is going on and have even used a blood sample from her tail to try and figure it out. They were able to take this sample without putting her under.
They are going to take this blood sample and compare it to one of her sisters. This might be able to help them get some answers, but right now, the zoologist is just confused as to why Bridget would be growing the extra hair. A male lion usually gets their mane when they are about a year old, but Bridget’s started growing just recently at 18-years-old.
This is not the first time that this has happened, though. Back in 2013, this happened to another lioness and they figured out the reason. This lioness had an issue with her ovaries that caused an excess production of testosterone. It is possible that Bridget has something similar going on with her. For now, they suspect that it has something to do with hormones, but the details are not yet known.
Right now, the Oklahoma City Zoo is waiting for her blood test results to try and figure out what is going on. Hopefully, they can get some answers. One good thing is Bridget doesn’t seem to notice her new hair and it isn’t bothering her at all. This is pretty interesting and local people are sure to visit Bridget and her new mane.
OKC Zoo's vet team is working to solve a very curious case; Bridget, the Zoo’s 18-year-old African lioness, has suddenly sprouted a mini-mane. Learn more ––––> (https://t.co/XkgQyJQRTR) #okczoo pic.twitter.com/Wi2q5L66AY
— Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden (@okczoo) February 19, 2018
Hopefully at some point, they can figure out why Bridget the African lion is growing this mane, but for now, it remains a mystery. The Oklahoma City Zoo will have someone that everyone will want to see now when they visit. Perhaps Bridget’s mane will go away or maybe it will continue to grow, but that is yet to be seen.
