A popular zoo on the island of Montreal is grieving the loss of a beloved resident.
Ecomuseum Zoo, located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., announced the passing of Palla, a female gray wolf, on its Facebook page Friday.
Palla was just a young cub of three months when she arrived at the non-profit in 2015.
Part of the ecomuseum’s mission is to take in animals that can’t be released back into the wild either because they were injured, orphaned or born under human care.
As a whelp, Palla was diagnosed with a rare disease that required emergency care. Staff at Ecomuseum Zoo feared for her life but the pup pulled through.
She quickly became a favourite, not only among her caretakers but with visitors and other animals too.
“She was active and cheerful,” the Facebook post reads, noting she was easily recognizable due to her small size.
Palla also stood out for her uncanny ability to adapt and forge bonds with others — be they human or animal.
To her caretakers, it was like Palla had a “sixth-sense that allowed her to help the people and animals around her,” the post said.
Animals at the ecomuseum live in outdoor enclosures made to resemble their natural habitat and living conditions.
Palla’s first “roommate” was Gargamel, a gray wolf described as having “serious physical and psychological health issues.”
The post said Palla had a calming effect on Gargamel and was able to “help him manage his stress.”
Palla is also credited with helping a skittish coyote named Missy overcome her shyness and nervousness.
Ecomuseum Zoo said it was stunned by Palla’s sudden passing from generalized cancer.
Just a few weeks prior, she had received a clean bill of health following a veterinary exam.
The zoo says Palla never let on she was sick, and the cancer was likely “very aggressive and invasive.”
“We know how animals can sometimes hide signs of weakness and this is certainly proof that she had kept such natural instinct,” the post said.
Ecomuseum Zoo is hoping visitors will share some of their memories of Palla on its Facebook page.