The Denver Zoo is mourning the loss of a critically endangered animal — a 21-year-old black rhinoceros — after the animal’s health issues caused the zoo to euthanize him on Wednesday.
After Mshindi the rhino lost his quality of life due to chronic foot problems, the zoo said veterinarians made the difficult decision to euthanize him, according to a Denver Zoo news release.
“We watched Mshindi very closely and were optimistic about his recovery, but he was no longer responding to his treatment,” vice president of veterinary medicine Scott Larsen said in a statement.
Twenty procedures and therapies — including customized boots — were not enough to alleviate recurring infections in the animal’s rear feet since 2014, the release said.
Mshindi, meaning “warrior” or “champion” in Swahili, was born at the zoo in 1993.
Zookeepers described Mshindi as a guest favorite, and described him as a loving, talented painter.
The animal was taught to hold a brush in his mouth and run it along a canvas to create paintings that were then sold to raise money for rhino conservation, the zoo said.
“It’s always difficult to make these decisions, but we wanted to do what was in Mshinidi’s best interest,” Larsen said. “He will be missed dearly.”
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ehernandez
