SAN DIEGO: One of only four northern white rhinos believed left in the world died on Sunday at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Nola, a 41-year-old female who has been at the park since 1989, was euthanised after her health took a turn for the worse, a zoo statement said.

The geriatric rhino had arthritis and other ailments and was being treated for a bacterial infection linked to an abscess in her hip.

Nola had surgery on Nov 13 to drain the abscess but her health began to deteriorate about a week ago; her appetite faltered and she became listless. She worsened over the past 24 hours and vets decided they had to euthanise her, according to the zoo in Escondido.

“Nola was an iconic animal, not only at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, but worldwide,” the park statement said.

The remaining three northern white rhinos, all elderly, are in a closely guarded preserve in Kenya.

The subspecies has been decimated by poachers, who kill the rhinos for their horns.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2015