My wife's beloved Black Rhino, Pete, passed away suddenly of kidney failure 2 weeks ago.
She worked with him for 20 years in the Portland Oregon Zoo. I posted a melancholy photo of him on World Rhino day to illustrate the
plight of Captive Rhino's.
He died at 24 years of age, born in Captivity and died in captivity.
Very sad that this was the only life he knew.
His Mate, Miati died of the same ailment 5 years ago, the Zoo diet just cannot maintain these great creatures,
despite the best intentions.
He sired a female who also lives a life in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo.
This is a not a good photo by any means, it is a Zoo photo, the best I could get, taken a couple years ago.
Not the life these magnificent animals should have.
1/250
f5.6 DSC_0049nx3.jpg
A tough time for your wife I'm sure. Sad indeed to have lived a life in captivity but I'm sure he was well cared for during that time and a better option IMO than taking one that's known the freedom of the wild and then caging it for the remainder of its life.
Last edited by Steve Canuel; 03-17-2012 at 12:14 AM.
It is a nice photo in black and white. I wish we did not have captive animals but do believe the Oregon Zoo tries to give their residents the best care possible. I'm sure he had some good times in his 24 years.
After reading the most recent National Geographic article on these critically endangered Rhinos, I feel ambivalent about captive life. Some zoos have seemingly adequate space for animals this size, some do not. But surely he lived a better life and had a better death than the egregious crimes his relatives across the globe have suffered at the hands of poachers. It's encouraging that people are being made aware of these issues by the presence of captive animals, while others across the atlantic fight, literally, to save their wild counterparts. Perhaps this is the best solution, and all we can do, for now.
Dan - it's effective in b&w. My condolences to your wife. Zoos serve a purpose. They educate people and give many an opportunity to see animals they would not otherwise have an opportunity to see. Also many are leaders in conservation efforts.
Thanks for comments. The Zoo discussion is probably not appropriate for the photo critique forum and
I regret bringing that up for discussion.
Needless to say, I think we all agree that these large mammals need every resource available
preserve the species.