The San Diego Zoo said Monday that Nola, one of only five northern white rhinos left in the world, is undergoing medical treatment at the Safari Park for the second time in five months.
Keepers noticed a swelling on the 41-year-old rhino’s right hip late last week and began monitoring the area. The swelling continued to grow over a few days, causing concern for the elderly animal. On Saturday, in an attempt to find out if the affected area was an abscess or something else causing the swelling, the veterinary team lanced the growth.
“We found the swelling was consistent with a large abscess, filled with pus,” stated Meredith Clancy, associate veterinarian. “We were able to flush the area with sterile saline and will wait on tests results to determine what is going on with Nola.”
The rhino, a favorite of the animal care team and Safari Park guests, was treated in December when she lost appetite and became less active.
Keepers said this time Nola doesn’t appear sick outwardly so veterinarians are hoping the swelling is a walled-off abscess that isn’t affecting her systemically, or affecting her entire body. Nola has been put on a course of antibiotics as a precautionary measure. Test results from fluid and tissues samples taken on Saturday should be available within a week to two weeks.
The rhino has a great relationship with her keepers and due to her ongoing, age-related medical needs, they interact with her in ways they might not be able to do with other rhinos. During her examination, she walked slowly through the field with both her keepers and the veterinary team, allowing the veterinarians to aspirate fluid from the abscess site. “Nola is a great patient,” added Clancy.
Nola is one of just five northern white rhinos left in the world. Three other northern white rhinos are in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and one is in the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic. The five remaining rhinos are all non-reproductive.
Poaching for its horn has brought the northern white rhino to such critically low numbers. With dramatically low populations of all five rhino species, rhinos could become extinct in 15 years.
