The world’s oldest captive white rhino, Sana has died in a French zoo at the age of 55.
According to reports, Sana was born in 1964 in the Umfolozi National Park in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. The southern white rhino was transported to Europe at the age of seven.
‘Save The Rhino’ advocacy group has mentioned that the life expectancy of white rhinos in the wild is 50 years.
The advocacy group mentioned that Sana was apparently not able to roll in mud–a crucial pastime that helps rhinos regulate their body temperature, prevent sunburn and ward off pesky insects. They also added:
Once a week, they coated her in green clay to help her skin stay hydrated and to stave off infections. Sana always had a strong character, she was the one who set the rules.
Save the Rhino says that only 20,000 southern white rhinos are left in the world.