Louisville Zoo mourns death of white rhinoceros, Sindi

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its longtime residents.

The zoo announced the passing of Sindi, the 41-year-old geriatric southern white rhinoceros, on Wednesday. Sindi had been a part of the Louisville Zoo family since 1985.

The Louisville Zoo said in a news release Thursday that she had been receiving treatment in the recent years for arthritis and other age-related conditions. Her heath declined significantly this week.

Zoo officials made the decision to humanely euthanize Sindi after a variety of treatments and fluid therapy was given.

"These tough decisions are made with a deep commitment to ensuring the best quality of life for all our animals. Our priority is their well-being, comfort and dignity from the moment they arrive until they leave us,” said Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney. “We thank our community for loving Sindi as much as we did."

Sindi and her fellow rhino, Letterman, were on view together in the Africa Zone. Letterman is still available for the public to see.

The southern white rhinoceros is the largest land mammal after the elephant. Their range is southern Africa, and their typical weight is between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds.

The southern white rhinoceros is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of the threat from poaching for the increasing illegal demand for horns.

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