MOTOKI JOINS HER SAWTOOTH FAMILY

It’s never easy to write about death.  It is, however, a necessary and honorable aspect of our lives and if you live long enough, you’re no doubt going to face a lot of it.  If you run a wilderness sanctuary populated by aging wolves, you’re going to face it all too often.  Recent events at the Wolf Education & Research Center require that I write to you on that subject today as earlier this week, our Center experienced a considerable loss in our family.

About a week ago, our good friend and alpha female, Motoki, began experiencing symptoms that, at nearly 14 years of age, are simply unavoidable.   The nature of her symptoms required action that Jeremy was predictably quick to take. Earlier this week, following our staff’s observation of Motoki’s failing health and considerable suffering, and under the consultation of our team of attending veterinarians, Jeremy Heft and I had to make the difficult decision to help her pass more gently into the inevitable presence of her Sawtooth family.  In his words, Jeremy shared:

Motoki led a very healthy life for over 13 years, so when she suddenly became significantly ill it was clear she may be nearing the end of her life.  I intently observed and comforted her through the difficult transition from a healthy, content wolf to a troubled, desperate one who was confused and scared.  Thankfully, this transition was relatively fast and without pain.  Our medical team (consisting of six veterinarians in addition to WERC staff) did everything possible to appropriately treat her and make her comfortable.  Unfortunately, Motoki’s disease was untreatable at her age and when her quality of life was unacceptable, we were faced with a very difficult decision.  On Wednesday Motoki laid her head on my knee and looked into my eyes with an expression of desperation and a plea for help.  This was the final component in our decision; Motoki was ready to leave this Earth and her diseased body behind.  A few hours later, she was peacefully laid to rest with Randy and I at her side comforting her.  Her body is undergoing a necropsy to determine the exact extent of her disease, and the results of such will be discussed later.  Motoki was a great friend, sister, and ambassador who will be missed by us all.

Without a doubt, this loss is hard for many reasons.  Piyip, who is known by his Native American given name “Little Brother” is the last remaining Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce member.  It is also so very difficult for those two legged members of her family, Jeremy, Randy, and Sarah Berna, and so many interns, who watched her grow from a young wolf to alpha female over more than a decade. 

The challenges that lie ahead for Piyip are many and I urge you to visit our Center soon, if you ever hope to share our blessing of this historic and memorable pack of wolves.  Perhaps plan to walk the Weyekin Trail where the Sawtooth legacy is celebrated.  Over the past few years, I have written to you about this word “legacy.”  We pay the utmost homage and respect to Motoki  and the others that have gone before them by pursuing our continued relentless and vigilant commitment to recovery of this species.   We face a junction, however, each time a loss is experienced and even in this inevitable tragedy must ask that you support our educational efforts. 

Motoki was a central character in our education program and countless visitors peered into her eyes, watched her as she played with her brother, or visited with the hopes of seeing this majestic creature.  She was also the embodiment of wolf recovery in our culture, an ambassador of wolves that face death destruction because of successful campaigns to destroy her wild cousins. 

Even as she passed into the presence of her family, she was obviously caught between two worlds, one of this with the familiarity of her surroundings and those who cared for her, and the world she has entered, one free of pain and struggle and the familiarity of the Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce.

We will miss Motoki and she will not be far from our thoughts.

Kind Regards,
Chris Anderson, Executive Director
Wolf Education & Research Center