Zoo Atlanta mourns loss of southern white rhino calf ZuriLaurel Smith Sun, November 8, 2026 at 4:27 PM UTC
ATLANTA (WSAV) — Staff at Zoo Atlanta are mourning the loss of two-year-old southern white rhino Zuri, who died on Friday following a brief illness.
Last week, team members noticed a sharp decline in Zuri's health, which blood testing revealed to be linked to severe anemia, a spokesperson for the zoo said. Veterinarians quickly administered treatments and an emergency blood transfusion, but Zuri continued to decline and died on 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 became part of Zoo Atlanta history as the first southern white rhino calf to be born at the zoo. She arrived on Christmas Eve in 2023.
The Rhino Care Team will closely monitor the other southern white rhinos, with whom Zuri spent her time, and provide them with extra care.
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Source: Nature
