‘Mac was an uncomplicated cat.’ Merced zoo staff writes loving obituary for big cat

A longtime resident of the Applegate Park Zoo and a favorite of many visitors, Mac the mountain lion has died, according to zoo staffers.

Mac had been a resident of the zoo for 12 years, staffers said, coming to the zoo at about 5 weeks old. He was taken Saturday for a digestive surgery and died from complications, according to staffers.

He was found orphaned 12 years ago with severe injuries and in the company of a dead sibling, according to staff.

“Mac was an uncomplicated cat. He enjoyed ribs, dairy products and pinatas,” zoo staff wrote on Facebook. “He loved sitting in boxes and playing hide and seek with the keepers, even though he wasn’t very good at it!”

He was named after the zoo’s longtime veterinarian Christine McFadden, who has cared for the animals since 1982.

Mac was known to purr and meow at his favorite zoo staffers. He called toward head keeper Donna McDowell the way a cub does toward its mother, staffers have said.

“We can’t know what Mac was really thinking but we are sure he left us knowing he was loved and we know that his presence is already missed by staff, volunteers and visitors alike,” staffers wrote.

Staffers said they’d like to hear on their Facebook page any fond memories visitors have of the big cat.