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Monarch butterfly survives after vets perform delicate wing transplant. Video
A monarch butterfly got a second chance after vets repaired its broken wing using a transplant from a deceased butterfly.
A monarch butterfly has been granted a rare second chance at life after veterinarians in New York City successfully performed an innovative wing transplant. The procedure, which required several hours of meticulous work, was carried out at the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, New York.
The butterfly was brought to the facility by resident Dagmar Hoffdavis. According to CBS News, the patient arrived with a severely damaged wing and was unable to flap or fly.
“He was unable to flap it or fly,” explained Janine Bendicksen, director of wildlife rehabilitation at the centre.
An unusual but creative plan
Faced with the challenge, Bendicksen devised a unique idea. She searched the floor for a deceased butterfly that could serve as a donor.
“I scoured the floor for a dead butterfly and I found a monarch,” she told CBS News. “The wing was in perfect shape.”
Bendicksen described the delicate process of working with such a tiny and fragile specimen. She noted that butterflies have no nerve receptors and no blood flow at the end portion of their wings, which made the transplant possible.
Science behind the wings
Butterfly wings are primarily made of a protein called chitin, which is also found in the exoskeletons of insects and arthropods. This structure gives the wings the strength needed for flight, according to the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary.
The surgery itself took nearly five hours. “The butterfly could fall apart if I pressed too hard,” Bendicksen recalled in her interview with CBS News.
Social media reaction
After the successful transplant, the Sweetbriar Nature Center shared the story on Instagram. The post attracted widespread attention, with many expressing amazement and admiration for the effort.
Take a look here at the clip:
“Imagine only having 1 arm and one day randomly getting abducted by aliens and all they do is give you a new arm and let you go,” one user joked. Another added, “His friends are never gonna believe him.”
Others marvelled at the technicality of the procedure. “I would think the adhesive would throw it off balance, like when you try to repair the wing of a broken toy aeroplane. Amazing that this works!!” wrote another commenter.
