Farewell Mosi

Written by our Director, Tsa Palmer.

It is with sadness that I report that Mosi departed this life peacefully on Tuesday 16th June. Two days previously she had lost the strength in one of her back legs and the vet and I recognised it was time... She was put to sleep in her enclosure comforted by four handlers who had known her since she came to the Trust from Dartmoor Wildlife Park at 7 days old, over 14 years ago and Torak was the other side of the fence not far away. As she slipped away all the wolves on site (except Torak) howled goodbye which was truly moving.

During last summer Mosi was diagnosed with Lymphoma. Due to her age we were not going to inflict any invasive procedures on her but she was prescribed steroid and other medication to slow the progress of the disease, and she definitely benefited from this having an extra few months. She enjoyed special treats from the volunteers, her favourite foods, of lamb, cheese and smoked mackerel in which we hid her meds... she led a quieter life with less visitors when the Trust closed but continued to enthusiastically greet volunteers as they arrived to see her with her customary howls and squeakIng her pleasure.

She was truly a special wolf. She was full of character and with a lot of attitude. When she reached maturity she was determined that she would not share Torak with her sister Mai and she was so obnoxiously aggressive to Mai that she got her way and lived with Torak for the next 10 years. He is quite a long suffering wolf as Mosi displayed high levels of affection to him which was largely not overtly returned and she always tried to pinch the best bits of his food, baring her teeth and growling at him until she got her way.

Her attitude was displayed when she often growled softly at handlers whom she knew well were collaring her up to take her on a walk. She just needed to remind them who they were dealing with... yet she loved having her tummy and ears rubbed and was very affectionate. Her highlight was a brisk walk round the fields rolling in unspeakably smelly things and scent marking frequently to let any other wolves know that she had been there !!

She was a great ambassador wolf for her species, meeting many hundreds of visitors on walks over the years and definitely being the most reliable howler on Howl Nights. Her bright amber eyes were what visitors picked up on as well as her enthusiasm for life. We were lucky to have her and she will be sorely missed.