Florida zoo worker hospitalized after possible exposure to saliva of antelope drugged with potent opioid

Source: New York Post

A Florida zoo employee was rushed to the hospital Friday after possibly coming in contact with saliva from an antelope that had been drugged with a potent opioid during a procedure. The team member at Zoo Miami — the Sunshine State’s largest animal park — suddenly fell ill while assisting with a “routine immobilization procedure to prepare a greater kadu antelope for transfer to another facility,” the zoo shared on Instagram.   Zoo officials have not confirmed what caused the worker to become unwell but advised the antelope was administered with immobilization drugs, including thiafentanil — a highly potent opioid that is a member of the fentanyl family.