Zulu, the oldest white rhinoceros in captivity in Europe, has died at the age of 45 at Lodz zoo in central Poland, the zoo's management said.
Born on August 28, 1959 at Umfolozi game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa , Zulu began his life in Europe at the age of five, at Berlin's zoo.
He became one of the main attractions at Lodz's zoological gardens after arriving there in September 1986.
He was the oldest of all the animals at Lodz zoo, which last year lost Europe's oldest hippopotamus, Hipcio, who died at the age of 49.
The zoo said Zulu's death had been caused by "insufficiencies in the circulatory and digestive systems."
Next to the elephant, the white rhinoceros is the largest land mammal and can weigh up to 3.6 tonnes. The pachyderms' life span varies from 25 to 45 years.
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