A 45-year-old white rhino at the Little Rock Zoo died Tuesday, according to zoo spokesman Susan Altrui.
Sue, the zoo's only white rhino, was put under anesthesia for an exam because she hadn't been eating for a week, Altrui said. During the exam, staff members discovered that she had a few abscessed teeth. Altrui said the teeth were removed, but Sue died after not waking fully from the anesthesia.
A necropsy showed that Sue suffered from other health problems, including blood in her abdomen and a poor liver. Altrui said the cause of Sue's death won't be known until laboratory test results come back, which will likely take two weeks.
The zoo currently isn't seeking another of the animals, which have a median life expectancy of 34 years, Altrui said.
The zoo still has Jahari, a black rhino, and is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to acquire a mate for him, Altrui said in an email.
Metro on 05/22/2015