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Omaha Steve

(99,489 posts)
Fri Jan 1, 2016, 08:17 PM Jan 2016

San Francisco's black rhino, oldest in North America, is 45

Source: AP

By JANIE HAR

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Zoo celebrated the 45th birthday of the oldest black rhinoceros in North America with a special cake of rolled oats and molasses.

The exact date of Elly's birth isn't known, as she was born in the wild. But she has lived at the zoo since April 1974.

Zookeepers on Friday prepared a "sweet feed" of oats and molasses that read "45," said zoo spokeswoman Nancy Hayden Crowley.

Elly has given birth to 14 calves, helping preserve a critically endangered species that numbered 200,000 before 1960 throughout parts of Africa. The number has dwindled to 3,000 to 5,000, due to poaching for their horns, said zoo curator Jim Nappi.

FULL story at link.


This photo provided by the San Francisco Zoo shows Elly as the zoo celebrates the 45th birthday of the oldest black rhinoceros in North America, on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, in San Francisco. The exact date of Elly's birth isn't known, as she was born in the wild. But she has lived at the zoo since April 1974. Elly has given birth to 14 calves, helping preserve a critically endangered species.(San Francisco Zoo via AP)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fb8b0e05ee95499d9f74270af342166a/san-franciscos-black-rhino-oldest-north-america-45

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San Francisco's black rhino, oldest in North America, is 45 (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jan 2016 OP
Happy Birthday Elly. 840high Jan 2016 #1
I wonder what's in the beer keg? Mosby Jan 2016 #2
Hopefully something good shenmue Jan 2016 #5
14 children! Marrah_G Jan 2016 #3
With a 16 month gestation period!! nt Lucky Luciano Jan 2016 #4
I can't imagine being pregnant for that long! Marrah_G Jan 2016 #8
Mazel tov! shenmue Jan 2016 #6
I'm sorry, Ellie catbyte Jan 2016 #7
If she were in the wild she would most likely be dead Marrah_G Jan 2016 #9

catbyte

(34,326 posts)
7. I'm sorry, Ellie
Sat Jan 2, 2016, 10:08 AM
Jan 2016

A lifetime in captivity, kidnapped as a baby, they probably killed mom right in front of her. We humans suck. Sorry, I just can't celebrate a life lived on concrete. Of course, she probably would've been killed by poachers for her horn so that Chinese men can keep their schlong up--which doesn't even effing work. Yeah, we suck.

Sorry to be a buzzkill, but now I know what "captured in the wild" really means and it's brutal. At least she's safe, I guess.

Again, sorry.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)
9. If she were in the wild she would most likely be dead
Sat Jan 2, 2016, 06:02 PM
Jan 2016

Yes, we humans suck. Hopefully enough of the genepool can be saved for a time when humans stop hunting animals to extinction.

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