Because the mother did not want to give him milk, the Augsburg Zoo had a rhinoceros baby euthanized the day after it was born. “Despite the intensive efforts of the keepers and the attending veterinarians, it was not possible to give the calf access to the milk source,” announced the zoo on Tuesday. Because the young animal was very weak on Friday evening, the zoo “with a heavy heart” decided to put the rhinoceros offspring to sleep “to save them further suffering”.
The zoo had been surprised by the birth. Hormone tests on mother “Kibibi” had not given any indication that she could be pregnant. The female refused to give milk after giving birth to the bull “Kibo” five years ago, and animal keepers had raised him with a bottle. That was not possible this time because the rhinoceros baby would have had to grow up alone. Incorporating the animal into a herd would have been “almost impossible”.
© SZ from October 13, 2021 / dpa