Reporting the passing of one Rhino is never an easy task, but when you have to write down about 3 Rhino deaths the task is even harder.
Nosorožci v ČR Facebook page was the first to report the death of one of the oldest Southern White Rhino female living in Europe: Zamba, from ZOO Ústí nad Labem (CZ). She died on 22 July 2019 at the estimated age of 49 years old. She was a wild caught female that was transferred to the Safari Park Dvůr Králové in 1972. She reached Usti nad Labem in 1980 where she lived till her death. According to Nosorožci v ČR Facebook page, she has spent many years with a female called Sasha and a male called Dan and, when both the hinos passed away, she spent few months with another male called Pablo in 2008. Pablo was tansferred back to his previous place and since then she has spent her last years all alone. Unfortunately, this important lady never contributed to her species, with no calves produced (a condition that is often reported on our analysis of the European Southern White Rhino population). It is not clear at the moment if the Facility will receive new Rhinos in the future. If that will be, it is auspicable that no more single female will spent her year all alone in an enclosure.
Thanking again Nosorožci v ČR Facebook page we learnt that on 10 August 2019 another Southern White Rhino has passed away. His name was Niko and he lived at Bratislava Zoo (SK): he was 38 years old and was born in the German city of Munster. He arrived in Bratislava in 2002 after staying for 18 years in Liberec (CZ). Unfortunatel even if he lived alongside many females he was not able to procreate. The cause of death is not clear, probably some complications due to old age and the inability to feed himself. At Bratislava Zoo remains an old female rhino called Ada.
Finally Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (USA) notified that the youngest female of its crash, 21 years old Marina, was euthanized on Monday 19 August 2019. According to official zoo’s release the rhino was undergoing medical treataments for synthoms linkable to colic. Since she wasn’t responding to the medical treataments, two equine surgeons were intended to perform a surgical procedure but in the end it turned out to be an “inhoperable colonic obstruction”. Marina live at the zoo since 1999 together with her mom that is still living there. Unfortunately neather Marina nor her mother were able to procreate because as it’s know a mother-daughter rhino crash it’s a rarely a good condition for procreation (see Carolina Zoo exception). Mashile, Marina’s mom, is too old to reproduce and it’s not clear if the zoo will receive new rhinos in the future.
