Zoo's beloved blind rhino Mandhla loses battle

3 July 2007

Zoo's beloved blind rhino Mandhla loses battle

Auckland Zoo's much loved rhino, Mandhla, who last November suffered neurological failure causing him to go blind, had to be euthanised earlier today following a dramatic deterioration in his condition.

Yesterday the 28-year-old rhino suffered a prolapsed penis, resulting in him being unable to urinate. While veterinary staff were last night able to catheterise Mandhla under anaesthetic, to help relieve his bladder, by this morning his condition had not improved. Zoo vet Dr John Potter said his condition was clearly irreversible.

A post-mortem is to be carried out this afternoon. Tissue samples of his brain will then be sent for laboratory testing, so conclusive results as to the exact cause of the rhino's health decline may be a couple of days away. "Mandhla's neurological problem was first identified nearly a year ago when he developed urinary incontinence. Examinations at the time showed the condition was neurological, rather than due to a separate bladder problem. Then last November, he suddenly became blind," says Dr Potter.

"This problem would have been caused by a worsening of this same neurological problem, and we all felt that it was in Mandhla's best interests to humanely put him to sleep."

Mandhla, who was born at San Diego Zoo in 1979, has been at Auckland Zoo for 27 of his 28 years.

"He was one of our long-term residents, who definitely became something of an icon and was a much-loved animal. He is going to be sadly missed by both staff and visitors," says Auckland Zoo curator, Brooke Noonan.

"It is a real credit to our Pridelands team, led by team leader Michael Batty, that Mandhla has had such quality of life over the past eight months since he became blind. The team introduced a highly innovative rehabilitation programme to ensure he could comfortably utilise both his indoor and outdoor exhibits. They gave more than 100 per cent, and the fact that Mandhla remained so confident and retained his 'I'm the dominant male here' attitude is testament to their outstanding efforts," says Ms Noonan.

"The recent arrival of three male rhinos from Hamilton Zoo, to enable Auckland to establish a bachelor herd to assist the regional breeding programme for southern white rhino, saw him assert his position even further, and proved an enriching time for him."

Pridelands team leader Michael Batty, a veteran keeper of 22 years, says while initially frustrated when he became blind, he and the team were amazed at just how well Mandhla had adapted.

"He was a real individual, who saw and successfully adapted to many changes over the years, and we're all going to miss him a lot," says Mr Batty.

ENDS

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