Bronx Zoo kangaroo gets cryotherapy for arthritis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dave, a kangaroo who calls the Bronx Zoo home, is receiving low-temperature cryotherapy treatment for arthritis. (Animal Planet Network via AP)
It’s cold out here for one New York City resident.
Dave, a kangaroo that lives at the Bronx Zoo, is getting cryotherapy treatment for its arthritis, the New York Daily News reports.
“He’s kind of an older gentleman now. He’s got some age-related problems; he has arthritis and stiffness in his joints,” zoo director Jim Breheny told the paper of the nearly 15-year-old marsupial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cryotherapy is a high-tech alternative to ice baths that humans have used for years.
“A lot of people are not aware of how much zoos have evolved over the last forty to fifty, sixty — one hundred years,” Breheny said. “Modern zoos in the 21st century not only take care of animals and exhibit them to the public — we work to save species.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dave’s saga with localized cryotherapy treatment is set to be documented by Animal Planet’s latest season of “The Zoo,” which kicked off Saturday night. The animal was shown getting the frosty treatment for the first time during the second-season premiere.
“I think if I’m noticing a difference right now, it’s in my head, it’s wishful thinking,” Kathleen Lamatina, the collection manager for program animals, said in the episode. “I know this has to be cumulative, it’s not going to happen right away. The plan is to do a few more sessions, see how it goes. He’s going to do really well.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.