Denver Zoo Staff Grieves Euthanised Black Rhinoceros Artist Mshindi

Last Wednesday, a black rhinoceros in the Denver Zoo died through euthanasia due to persistent foot problems, said zoo officials.

Mshindi, the 21-year-old rhino had chronic foot problems that worsened for one-and-a-half years, making the zoo staff give him relief with euthanasia, according to CBS.

"The median life expectancy for black rhinoceroses living in North American zoos is 17.8 years," the zoo stated.

"This is very hard for all of our staff. We'll miss him terribly, but we knew this was the right thing to do," Curator of Toyota Elephant Passage Dale Leeds said. "Mshindi was well-known and loved by our zookeepers and guests for his wonderful personality."

After examining a lot of options to treat him, the zoo became optimistic in June, when Mshindi began to improve. However, his condition worsened soon, according to MarketWatch.

"We watched Mshindi very closely and were optimistic about his recovery, but he was no longer responding to his treatment," Vice-President of Veterinary Medicine Scott Larsen said.

Born at the Denver Zoo in 1993 to Lij and Rhinestone, Mshindi was given his name, meaning "warrior" or "champion" in Swahili, reported The Denver Post.

He soon became famous for his artistic leanings after he began to hold a brush in his mouth and paint on a canvas that was held by a zoo staff member. His paintings actually got sold, with proceedings used for rhino conservation.

"He will be missed dearly," Larsen concluded, according to hngn.