Woodland Park Zoo’s 14-year-old female gray wolf, Shila, has received a pacemaker in an “innovative and groundbreaking medical procedure” to treat her life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. The successful procedure took place on June 12, and the Zoo says Shila is recovering well behind the scenes.

While pacemakers are common treatments for humans and domestic dogs, Shila became the first known wolf to receive a pacemaker to treat a life-threatening heart condition. The delicate surgery was done in partnership with an expert team from Olympic Veterinary Cardiology.

According to the Zoo, animal keepers first observed concerning behavior from Shila in early June, determining that the wolf’s heart rate was too slow and potentially dangerous. An echocardiogram confirmed that Shila was experiencing an AV block, causing her heart to beat irregularly and too slowly to support her activity level.

This heart condition carries the risk of sudden death, and the only corrective option for this diagnosis is an artificial pacemaker, which regulates the beat of the heart and has the unique ability to completely resolve the AV block when it works properly.

For the pacemaker procedure, Woodland Park Zoo partnered with Dr. Brian Maran and the team at Olympic Veterinary Cardiology, who specialize in state-of-the-art animal heart care. The gray wolf was transported to their Everett veterinary cardiology clinic for the minimally invasive procedure.

Following her pacemaker implantation, Shila was returned to Woodland Park Zoo and will spend approximately two to three weeks recuperating. She is expected to make a strong recovery.

Shila was born in April 2010 at New York State Zoo at Thompson Park and moved to Woodland Park Zoo in October of that year with three littermates, who have all since passed away. Gray wolves are endangered species in regions of the United States, including in Washington state. In the wild, gray wolves live to be about 10 years old. In human care, the life expectancy extends to between 15 and 18 years old. While Shila is considered a geriatric gray wolf at 14 years old, she has good indicators of well-being, and this pacemaker supports her overall health.

”This has been a defining moment for Shila and her species. Not only does this pacemaker improve her life, it also contributes to a greater scientific and medical understanding of treatment options available for gray wolves in ways that we haven’t seen before.”