MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo is mourning the death of one of its wolves, after zoo leaders said the animal was "humanely euthanized due to his age-related mobility issues."
The Zoo said Dakota lived in Teton Trek area. The zoo said Dakota was 13-years-old, and wolves in the wild live to age 8-to-13 years.
In a post to Facebook, the zoo said, “His keepers describe him as a very good boy, benevolent, and a laid-back leader who only interfered in social dynamics when he was really needed. He loved to play in the snow in his younger years and was excellent at catching fish from his pool. He was very attached to his keepers and loved interacting with them daily.”
The zoo’s wolf pack were siblings and all the same age, so they all grew up together. The zoo said there is one member left – Meeka – and her age makes it difficult to introduce her to a new pack, which would be unlikely to accept her. Zookeepers said they are carefully monitoring Meeka and she is receiving lots of special attention.
