Quebec zoo announces death of Shaboola, first white rhino born in Canada

MONTREAL — A Quebec zoo is mourning the death of Shaboola, a 45-year-old white rhino who was the first of her species born in Canada.

The Granby zoo announced this week the rhino had been euthanized after her health had recently declined.

“She was undoubtedly a star animal at the zoo, dear to the hearts of the employees and the large community of our zoological institution,” the zoo wrote in a news release. “Her medical condition having deteriorated in recent weeks, significantly affecting her quality of life, the decision was made by our animal-care experts to gently lead her to her last breath.”

Shaboola was born at the Toronto Zoo on Oct. 13, 1979, which according to the Granby zoo made her the oldest white rhino in Canada and the third oldest female in North America at the time of her death. The average life expectancy for a white rhino is about 36 years, Granby zoo said.

“Shaboo,” as she was called, became known for her calm and gentle temperament, making her a favourite among carers in both Toronto and Granby, where she moved in 2012.

In a post in July 2024, the Toronto Zoo said Shaboola’s kind nature made her a “fantastic” animal on which new care staff could learn. She also served a mother/grandmother role to a younger male rhino named Tom, “putting him in his place gently and teaching him rhino manners,” the Toronto Zoo wrote.

The Granby zoo said Shaboola’s health problems multiplied in recent years, and included arthritis as well as foot, dental and kidney problems. It added that efforts are underway to bring in two new female rhinos to live and possibly breed with K.C., a male white rhino who was Shaboola’s companion for more than a decade.

White rhinos are considered near-threatened, with a population of about 16,800 across Africa as of the end of 2022, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Granby is part of a network of dozens of zoos working to try to save the animals, which are hunted by poachers in the wild for their horns.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press