1 September 2005

Attempt to Rescue a Wolf named Mane from Mazin

In the morning of 1 September the inhabitants of the Mazin village close to Donji Lapac informed the representatives of competent authorities that a wounded wolf had been found in the meadow next to houses. The first information suggested that the wounds resulted from a highway collision. The on-site inspection was performed by the court appointed expert for assessment of damage caused by wolves to domestic animals, Igor Hak, who found the animal wounded and unable to get up on his back legs. After a brief consultation with experts of the State Institute for Nature Protection and the Department for Biology at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Zagreb it was decided to try to save the wounded wolf and bring him back to the wild. Late that evening Dr. Josip Kusak brought the wolf to Zagreb . It was a grown up male, 3-4 years old, weighing 37 kg. The villagers named him Mane. In collaboration with the acting Head of the Clinic for Surgery, Orthopaedics and Ophthalmology of the School of Veterinary Medicine , Dr. Dražen Matičić, the wounded wolf was admitted, accommodated and received medical treatment. In the morning of 2 September the surgical team started with the treatment. The X-ray taken showed the bone fracture in the right back leg caused by a shot and it was decided to perform a surgery. Unfortunately, during the treatment the wounds were found to be too serious to cure and the wolf was euthanized. Since it was a gunshot wound resulting from an illegal act, the case was communicated to the competent nature conservation inspection of the Ministry of Culture.