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Brazilian wolf becomes first wild animal to receive stem cell treatment

A female Brazilian wolf who had been hit by a truck became the first wild animal whose injuries were treated with the use of stem cells. The animal was cared for at the Brazilian National Zoo, according to PopSci.com.

After the accident, the wolf, which is red in color and has a mane, had several broken bones and other injuries. She was in a pre-coma state when she was taken to the animal rescue workers.

Stem cells were implanted near the wolf's broken bones, which allowed the animal to be back on its feet within a few hours of treatment. A few days after the treatment, the animal had healed so well that it did not need medication.

However, it took four months before the wolf was ready to be released back into the wild. Despite this lengthy recovery period, the news source reports that an animal who received regular treatment rather than stem cells would take about twice as long to fully recover.

"Making use of stem cells, we will have faster healing of the bone," Rafael Bonorino, who operated on the animal, told TreeHugger.com. "This animal is now less prone to re-fracture and the healing is more complete."
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