Rare White Rhino Dies, Leaving Only Four Left on the Planet
The death of the 31-year-old female at a Czech zoo paints a bleak picture for the northern white rhino subspecies.
A northern white rhinoceros named Nabiré died Monday at a Czech zoo, leaving only four of the subspecies alive in the world. Their outlook is bleak: Only one male remains, and at 42 years old he can no longer breed.
The 31-year-old female died at the Dvůr Králové Zoo after suffering complications from the rupture of a large cyst, according to a zoo statement. White rhinos are thought to be able to live up to 40 or 50 years.
"It is a terrible loss," zoo director Přemysl Rabas said in the statement. "Her species is on the very brink of extinction." (Also see "Extremely Rare White Rhino Dies in Kenya—His Kind Nearly Extinct.")
The remaining animals, all captive, include
