The oldest rhino in the world, which spent most of her life in the wild, died at the age of 57 in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro sanctuary.
The female black rhino named Fausta died due to natural causes on Friday, December 27, said Ngorongoror Conservation Area Authority on Saturday.
The released statement from the authority read, “Records show that Fausta lived longer than any rhino in the world and survived in the Ngorongoror, free-ranging, for more than 54 years.”
The statement added that Fausta rhino was moved to the Ngorongoro sanctuary in 2016 when her health started deteriorating. She was first located in 1965 in the Ngorongoro crater by a scientist from the University of Dar es Salaam. Then she was just between age of three and four.
The authority said they were forced to put Fausta in captivity as she was attacked several times by hyenas and she had severe wounds on her body.
Black rhinos are endangered species and its number dropped dramatically in 20th century. However, it is good news that their numbers have risen in recent years.
The oldest white rhino was Sana. She died in captivity at the Planete Sauvage zoological park in 2017 in France. She was then aged 55.
According to Ngorongoro conservation area, life expectancy of rhinos in the wild is between 37 and 43 years. In captivity the rhinos live more than 50 years.
