Vultures have never been considered cute birds, and no one keeps them as pets. But Bernard and Twinkle, endangered Eurasian black vultures who live at Horstmann Vulture Trust, will win your heart because they are so devoted to each other. The pair previously produced the first Eurasian black vulture chick hatched in the UK. Bernard is 28 years old now, and has arthritis, which limited his activities. Then he became a groundbreaker as the first vulture to undergo experimental stem cell therapy. A veterinary team extracted some of Bernard's stem cells and cultured them until they grew to more than seven million cells! These were re-introduced into the bird, and they replaced the tissue in Bernard's worn-out knees. The Trust hopes that a rejuvenated Bernard will be able to produce more chicks with Twinkle. We wish them luck. Vulture populations are declining around the world, and while their feeding habits may seem disgusting, they are a vital part of our ecosystem.
Commenting on Neatorama will earn you NeatoPoints!