Mourning for a rhino baby in Australia: Just last week, the Werribee Open Range Zoo on the east coast celebrated the birth of a rare southern white rhino – now the animal has died, as the broadcaster 9News reports, citing the zoo. The 60-kilogram girl was born last Tuesday. It was the first rhino offspring in the zoo in ten years.
Since the mother Kipenzi had not developed a close bond with her daughter in the first few hours, the little rhino was initially taken into the care of veterinarians. However, the little one was probably injured in the interaction with her mother on the shoulder blade, according to an autopsy. This probably led to a blood clot and ultimately to a cardiac arrest on Saturday, it said. Veterinarians failed to revive the calf.
Zoo director Mark Pilgrim said the staff were devastated. “The death of an animal is a challenge for everyone involved. But we can take comfort in knowing that every effort has been made to ensure the calf received the best possible care.”
The southern white rhino is classified as “Near Threatened”. “Thanks to intensive protective measures, a population of over 15,000 animals has been able to develop again to date,” wrote the WWF recently. Of their cousins, the northern white rhinos, there are only two females left worldwide. The animals are threatened primarily by poaching and the illegal trade in their horns. Especially in Asia, these are used in traditional medicine.
Report 9News WWF in Breitmaulnashörnern
