Zoo Atlanta announces death of 2-year-old southern white rhino Zuri

ATLANTA, Ga. (WTVM) - Zoo Atlanta announced Nov. 8 that Zuri, a 2-year-old female southern white rhino, died Nov. 6 following a brief illness.Illness and treatmentZoo Atlanta said Zuri’s health and behavior declined sharply earlier in the week. Blood tests showed severe anemia.The Veterinary Team gave Zuri extensive treatments, including an emergency blood transfusion. The blood came from adult female rhino Dakari and from other AZA facilities, according to the zoo. Zuri continued to decline and died Nov. 6.“This is a devastating loss for the Zoo Atlanta team,” said Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health. “The loss of Zuri is crushing not only because she was such a young animal who was treasured as an individual, but also because she was an incredibly valuable member of her vulnerable species. While it is too early for us to presume on any specific cause, we are hopeful that pathology reports will tell us more about Zuri’s condition.”Zuri’s history at the zooZuri was the fir