mackenzie – May 26, 2008 12:00 AM

This will be the last log as a Retired Pack wolf before she moves to the Gone, But Not Forgotten pack. I would like to thank the people who have sent emails about MacKenzie, I will be posting those in her pages in the upcoming weeks. I regret not getting video footage when Lakota returned to the pack and the subsequent days when MacKenzie and Lakota were the happiest they had been in years. Our focus was on getting Lakota back to the pen and healing her foot. As her log states, she had a remarkable recovery and never touched her sutures. I'm sure the lack of pain from that tumor made her feel great, and MacKenzie responded with social interaction. On the morning of the 21st, MacKenzie ate well, cached food, rolled over for staff and interacted with the staff raking straw in the enclosure. Staff were in the enclosure until about noon, when MacKenzie went to the back of the pen in the shade to sleep. This is where we found her, in the same sleeping position. The necropsy showed a tumor in her lungs, and it is likely that she had a Pulmonary embolism, but that may never be known. We are waiting for the lab reports, but what we do know, is that there was very little sign of struggle. It was a shock to say the least. We know that every day at this age could be their last, but it's still a shock. To say that she will be greatly missed by wolf care staff is a gross understatement. She was the matriarch of this facility who taught us so much about wolf behavior, dignity, status and retirement. The video is a small clip of a memorial video produced for MacKenzie, the web size restricts the entire clip, but please know that we have fond memories and photos of her life.