The famous white rhinoceros named Toby at Parco Natura Viva Zoo in northern Italy has died at the age of 54 due to old age.
“The animal collapsed on the ground while returning to its shelter at night, and after about half an hour, its heart stopped beating,” said zoo spokesperson Elisa Livia Pennacchioni in a statement on October 12.
White rhinos typically live for 30 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity. Toby, at 54, held the world record as the oldest living white rhinoceros. His death is a significant loss for the zoo.
Southern white rhinoceros Toby. (Photo: AFP)
“We knew this day would come sooner or later, but it is sad to witness Toby’s final moments. This gentle giant has been with us for half a century,” shared Cesare Avesani Zaborra, the zoo’s executive director.
Pennacchioni added that Toby will be preserved and displayed at the MuSe Science Museum in Trento, where he will be reunited with Blanco, a white lion from the zoo who passed away five years ago.
Toby belonged to the subspecies Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), with an estimated global population of around 18,000, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In the wild, they are primarily found in the grasslands of southern Africa.
Although the Southern white rhinoceros is the most common subspecies of white rhino, it is currently threatened due to habitat loss and poaching for its horns in recent years.
