Macano Coatimundi
Macano’s Story
Macano and his former enclosure-mate, Lily, who passed away on October 10, 2018, came to Carolina Tiger Rescue along with fourteen other animals from a facility in Colorado. The facility closed down when the owner fell ill. Carolina Tiger Rescue worked with several other sanctuaries around the country to find homes for over one hundred animals. Macano was social and inquisitive. He did not like the cold at all. He preferred to stay in his warm den box even on warmer days. Macano was always up for attention though and always wanted to know what was going on and to see if anyone brought him something good to eat. Macano loved insects and was quick to eat them first when his food was brought to him. He loved smelly perfumes and would rub them into his tail, the stinkier the better!
Macano’s Passing
August 5, 2020
The decision was made to euthanize Macano Tuesday evening.
We discovered Macano had a grade 5 heart murmur when we anesthetized him to remove a lipoma (a fatty mass) on his chest, back in the fall of 2019. Since then we’ve kept a close eye on him and this past winter moved him into the vet center to an indoor enclosure. This allowed us to keep a close eye on him and keep him in a temperature-controlled environment that was more comfortable for him. When the summer rolled around, the decision was made to keep him indoors to keep him cool. His mobility had also been limited in his old age due to bridging spondylolysis (fusion of the spine) and arthritis in his back legs. Keepers completed several makeovers to his indoor enclosure to accommodate his changing needs, including giving him access to multiple water sources, changing the height and slope of his ramps, and offering him a variety of food he enjoyed.
Recently we noticed an increase in heart-related issues. We suspect he had a potential atrial fibrillation event last week and he increased to a grade 6 heart murmur – the most severe. His appetite had decreased, he showed a lack of interest in enrichment and continued to decline in mobility. Even with these changes, Macano remained comfortable and enjoyed visits from staff throughout the day. Since his quality of life had declined significantly, our veterinarian, keepers, staff, and curator decided it was not in Macano’s best interest to wait until he went into heart failure to make the difficult decision to let him go. Macano was surrounded by adoptive parents and staff Tuesday evening and will be greatly missed.
Macano and Lily Coatimundi came to us from the Colorado rescue in October 2016. They were two of the sixteen animals that were rescued from a roadside zoo that closed down. Macano was often more social than Lily and was likely to come up to say hello with his well-known “squeak.” He was very scent motivated and the smellier the perfume, the better. His favorites were Obsession and Axe. Though Macano was never along the tour path, he was loved by many including volunteers, staff and adoptive parents who showered him with enrichment. Lily and Macano were the first coatimundis to be rescued by Carolina Tiger Rescue, providing us with a learning curve that we thoroughly enjoyed. They provided their unique challenges but their exuberant personalities have made the extra work well worth it. Macano and Lily paved the way for animals like Daisy Coatimundi to come to call Carolina Tiger Rescue home. They will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege to meet them.
Lauren Humphries, Senior Animal Keeper
