It is with heavy heart that we apprend the news of Sana‘s death, a Southern White Rhino lady resident at Planete Sauvage, Port Saint Pere (FR). She was the oldest living white rhino under human care. She was approximately 55 years old! The zoo made the announcement on 13 November 2019.

It is described that she needed special care: she was no longer able to roll in the mud, an important pastime that helps rhinos regulate the body temperature, protects from the heat of the sun and keeps away skin parasites. In fact once a week she had her skin covered with green clay to assure hydratation and protect from infections.

Keepers told about her that she was a bit bossy: she was the one that made the rules!

She was born in South Africa in 1964 being one of the last wild rhinos still living in Europe: now that another one called Gracia in Thoiry (FR) too in 2018 there are few of them. Sana spent many years in 3 different zoos in Germany but then, at last, came to Planete Sauvage, Port Saint Pere in France where she lived for the past 26 years.

According to our sources Sana never gave birth to any calves (a common leitmotiv in female rhinos in zoos).