Turtle Back Zoo In NJ Is Mourning For Its Beloved Wolf, Theo

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its beloved wolves, Theo.

On Friday, the West Orange-based zoo announced that Theo was humanely euthanized last week due to known medical conditions and his age.

Zoo administrators wrote online:

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of our wolves, Theo.

“Theo came to us as a young pup in the summer of 2011 and has aided his species in the wild as a wonderful ambassador animal. You may have noticed over the past couple years Theo has had some increasing difficulty walking. He had progressive arthritis, causing bone changes in his spine and compression of disc spaces which caused him to walk differently. Theo was placed on joint care supplements and multimodal pain medications while being monitored closely by his keepers and our veterinary team. While his gait was off, he still interacted well with his pack mates and keepers.

“Unfortunately, last week Theo was found unable to get up. Due to his known conditions and age, the decision was made to humanely euthanize him. His pack mates, Fargo and Zander were given an opportunity to mourn his loss and behaved appropriately with some initial whimpers and a final howl goodbye.

“So many guests have enjoyed watching this pack play in Wolf Woods over the past 10 years. Please support our staff and zoo followers as we mourn the loss of this magnificent animal.

“Feel free to share your favorite memories or photos of our wolf pack. (For those of you that have worked with Theo over the years we know you are mourning his loss with us. The carnivore team will be monitoring the remaining two wolves for changes in pack dynamic over the next few weeks.)”

Several people recalled their fond memories of Theo on social media. Seen online:

• “We have always enjoyed seeing him. My son had a school field trip there when he was in second grade. The wolves were the most interactive with the kids! We were there a few weeks ago and his difficulty walking was very apparent. We are so grateful that he was in a place that recognized his distress and acted on it so he wasn’t suffering.”
• “I am so sorry. My family always enjoyed watching the pack of wolves and Theo of course. We have so many pics and memories over the years.”
• “My heart breaks for his keepers and friends at the zoo. Thank you for keeping him comfortable and making the right decision for his care. Hugs to all.”

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