Zoo Atlanta mourns loss of rhino Zuri after brief illness

Zoo Atlanta announced the passing of a 2-year-old female southern white rhino on Sunday.

Zuri died after a brief illness where she experienced a “sharp decline in her health and behavior.”

When the Zoo Atlanta Veterinary Team performed an examination, Zuri was found to have severe anemia.

While the team administered extensive treatments in efforts to save Zuri, Zoo staff said she continued to decline and died on Friday.

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“This is a devastating loss for the Zoo Atlanta team,” Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health, said in a statement. “The loss of Zuri is crushing not only because she was such a young animal who was treasured as an individual, but also because she was an incredibly valuable member of her vulnerable species. While it is too early for us to presume on any specific cause, we are hopeful that pathology reports will tell us more about Zuri’s condition.”

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Zuri was the first southern white rhino calf born at Zoo Atlanta, arriving on Christmas Eve 2023. Staff said Zuri was the first child of Kiazi and Mumbles, with her name chosen through a vote during the Zoo Atlanta 2024 “Rhino Naming Madness.”

Following Zuri’s death, Zoo Atlanta staff are providing additional care to Dakari, Zuri’s “aunt,” who staff said she spent the most time with at the Zoo.

The Zoo said a necropsy will be performed through its partnership with the University of Georgia Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service in the College of Veterinary Medicine, with preliminary results expected in several weeks.

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