The Barcelona Zoo says goodbye to one of its most beloved guests, the rhinoceros Pedro, the oldest specimen in Europe, according to existing records. The animal died this Monday after, in recent weeks, its health condition worsened due to problems related to its advanced age.
“A few days ago, and due to his advanced age, he had begun a process of weakening that has evolved towards an increasingly delicate state that has not been able to be reversed despite the attention provided by the Zoo’s team of caretakers and veterinarians. “explains the center in a press release.
Pedro was a southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), a subspecies classified as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. These specimens can measure up to almost 2 meters high and 4 meters long, despite weighing more than 3,500 kilos.
The exact age of the rhino is unknown. However, with existing customs records, it is estimated that he could be between 53 and 54 years old, maintains the Barcelona Zoo. Taking into account that the maximum life expectancy of the species is between 40 and 50 years, it was the oldest rhinoceros in Europe and one of the 4 longest-lived of the nearly 800 that exist around the world.
According to the center, the animal was imported from South Africa to Spain in 1972. Pedro arrived at the Barcelona Zoo on December 2, 2003, coming from another zoological facility at the proposal of the Administration responsible for finding him a new home that would guarantee the care and well-being of the animal.
Since then, the rhino found refuge and living conditions suitable for its species. His caretakers highlight that he was a “calm and sociable animal, with a positive disposition and always willing to interact with his caretakers.”
“An animal very dear to all of us has died, a specimen that has received the utmost care over the years from the Zoo’s technical team, which has provided it with the necessary care,” laments the director of the Barcelona Zoo, Antoni Alarcon.
