PHOENIX — The Phoenix Zoo announced Sunday that one of their southern white rhinoceroses, Howard, has died.
The zoo said Howard, who was born at the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida in 1997, was "being treated for a protracted and progressive neurological condition" that was no longer responding to treatment.
Due to that, the zoo's veterinarians and zookeepers decided to euthanize Howard.
The zoo said that Howard was also suffering from meningitis and sepsis and that they are running more pathology tests and expect more information on Howard's illnesses in the next few weeks.
"Howard was an easy-going rhino who always enjoyed interacting with his keepers," a statement from the Phoenix Zoo's Hoofstock team reads. "He was always happy to spend time near his keepers for as long as he could convince anyone to stand still and scratch him. he will be greatly missed by everyone on the Hoofstock team."
Howard came to the Phoenix Zoo in 2020 from the Brevard Zoo in Florida and became one of the top animals for zoo guests to see as they walked around and a favorite of the Phoenix Zoo staff. The zoo said he will be "extraordinarily missed."
The Phoenix Zoo still has one southern white rhino, a female named LouLou.
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