Critically endangered black rhino dies at Denver Zoo

A beloved black rhinoceros at the Denver Zoo was put down on Wednesday as his quality of life had deteriorated due to an ongoing foot problem.

CBS4 reported that zoo officials said that the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the 21-year-old Mshindi was made after his condition continued to worsen.

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

The rhino had been dealing with a reoccurring infection in his back feet for over a year and underwent several different procedures and therapy with veterinary and animal care staff.

The Denver Post noted that Mshindi’s zookeepers called him a “talented painter.” The rhino was trained to hold a brush in his mouth and touch the canvas with it in order to make paintings. The proceeds from his artwork raised money for rhino conservation.

Black rhinoceroses are critically endangered animals with less than 5,000 remaining in the wild today. They are found in eastern and central Africa and are threatened by habitat changes and poaching.

Denver Zoo announce death of “Mshindi” - a 21-year-old male black rhinoceros #9News pic.twitter.com/zb7By7b8Pz

— Jeremy Moore (@JeremyDanMoore) September 17, 2015