Macro, a beloved raccoon who arrived at the 海角社区官网Zoo twice the weight he should have been after he was kept illegally as a pet, has died.
, unusually still and uninterested in food. He was taken to the Wildlife Health and Science Centre, where veterinarians found a large mass in one kidney and kidney stones in the other.聽
The zoo said the decision was made to humanely euthanize Macro.聽An autopsy showed he also had abnormalities in his pancreas.聽
Macro’s story doesn’t end with sadness, but gratitude, the zoo wrote in the post.聽“He was given a life full of second chances, care, and discovery.
“And in his quiet way, he left an imprint on everyone who knew him,” the post said, describing Macro as “a beloved member” of the zoo聽“not just among staff and volunteers but for guests who learned his story.”
Macro in a playful pose on bedding at the 海角社区官网Zoo.
海角社区官网ZooMacro was taken to the zoo in March 2023 after he was confiscated and weighed nearly 31 kilograms 鈥 more than double the weight of a healthy, wild raccoon. The zoo said he spent his first six months under medical care, receiving a specialized diet and gradually losing more than 12 kilograms.
Once stable, Macro was introduced to Micro, another raccoon living in the Canadian Domain section of the zoo. “Macro didn’t understand what raccoons were supposed to do. He didn’t know how to forage or climb,” the zoo said.
But with a tailored habitat, proper diet and encouragement to dig and explore, Macro came around. “His weight came down. His confidence went up.”
Macro, seen with a stuffie Leafs’ mascot Carlton the Bear, was given an “enriching habitat tailored to his needs” during his two years at the zoo.
海角社区官网Zoo鈥淥ver time, and with extraordinary patience and care, the zoo鈥檚 team helped him rediscover what it meant to be a raccoon,鈥 the post continued.聽
Macro, the zoo said, was an example of how wildlife rehabilitation can help animals adapt and thrive after being removed from inappropriate environments.
“He was a symbol of resilience, of what compassionate care could do, and how even the most unlikely animals could get a second chance,” the post reads.
Macro was described as an example of how wildlife rehabilitation can help animals adapt and thrive after being removed from inappropriate environments.
海角社区官网ZooThe zoo urges anyone who finds a wild animal that appears sick, injured, or orphaned to not remove the creature from its natural habitat but instead .
Other animals prohibited as pets in 海角社区官网include ducks, skunks, monkeys, coyotes and all venomous or poisonous species. A is available on the City of Toronto鈥檚 website.
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