21-03-2025
Southern white rhinoceros Sindi dies at Louisville Zoo at age 41
A rhinoceros who spent four decades at the Louisville Zoo died Wednesday, zoo officials announced in a news release.
The southern white rhinoceros, Sindi, was 41 years old, Louisville Zoo spokesperson Kyle Shepherd said. Sindi was humanely euthanized after zoo staff noticed a marked decline in her health this week.
Sindi had been receiving treatment for arthritis and other age-related conditions in the years leading up to her death. Earlier this week, she started to show signs of reduced appetite, lethargy and acute respiratory symptoms.
The team at the Louisville Zoo treated her in a variety of ways and took steps to ensure her comfort, but they ultimately decided that "humane euthanasia was the most compassionate choice to provide Sindi with a peaceful end," Shepherd said in the news release.
Sindi has lived at the Louisville Zoo since 1985.
"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,' Louisville Zoo Director Dan Maloney said. 'We thank our community for loving Sindi as much as we did.'
The southern white rhinoceros is the second largest land mammal in the world after the elephant and is the largest species of rhinoceros, zoo officials said. They live in southern Africa and weigh 4,000-6,000 pounds.
The species is considered to be near threatened by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with population threats driven by poaching to supply the illegal trade of their horns, Louisville Zoo officials said.
Visitors can still see Letterman, another rhinoceros who lives at the zoo, in his public-facing habitat in the zoo's Africa Zone.
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@ or @bkillian72 on X.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Zoo announces death of southern white rhinoceros Sindi
