GREENSBORO, N.C. — A beloved member of the North Carolina Zoo family has passed away.
Stan, a southern white rhinoceros who called the NC Zoo home for more 30 years died Friday, February 15.
The 49-year-old rhino was known for his big, friendly personality and lived at the NC Zoo since 1987.
Stan was originally born in 1970 at the Umfolozi Park in South Africa.
Being one of the oldest rhinos in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Stan served as an ambassador for the struggle of rhinos in the wild whose populations are constantly threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
Male rhinos in the wild normally live into their early 30’s and into their early 40’s under human care.
This speaks volumes of the care that Stan received while at the NC Zoo.
Stan began experiencing symptoms of neurological disease including seizure-like activity after a suspected stroke in January.
This severely diminished Stan’s quality of life.
A decision was made to humanely euthanize Stan after the sudden drop in his health.
A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be executed to find the exact cause of his neurological disease.
Stan was a breeding pair with Olivia, another southern white rhinoceros.
Although the herd continued to expand, no offspring were sired.
Stan and his herd called the Watani Grasslands home.
"My fondest memories of Stan are the sunny summer days during a Zoo Snooze or Summer Camp tour. A dozen little camper hands would be giving him rubs while he munched on his favorite treats. The kids loved Stan which further created a love of rhinos around the world,” said Stan’s lead Zookeeper Stacey Weatherly. “Those moments always made my heart smile the most."
Due to his age, and in order to introduce a new breeding male to the heard, Stan was moved from the Watani Grasslands in 2011.
He would enjoy his retirement years in a large behind-the-scenes yard and climate-controlled barn with his longtime companion Olivia.
However, that still didn’t stop Stan from keeping a visible profile.
Stan was the star of behind-the-scenes tours along with his keepers and helped to educate visitors on rhino conservation efforts through his personal Facebook page ‘Stanley Rhino.’
Stan undoubtedly left a long-lasting impression on his keepers and great memories for the many that visited him over the years.
“We will truly miss our beloved Stan, yet his legacy will live on through the many people he inspired to care about wild animals around the world,” said Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources.
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