22 year old Rhino, Nandi has died from unknown natural causes at the Rhino Fund Sanctuary, Nakasongola.
According to the Executive Director Rhino Fund Uganda, Angie Genade, "Nandi who gave birth to a female calf, Achiru in January was ill for some time. Unfortunately, since she was not well and she then could not care or feed Achiru who was her offspring .She was then handed over to Uganda Wildlife Education Center where she sadly died 10 days later."
Angie says that both deaths are a severe knock to the Uganda Rhino breeding program.
Speaking sadly, Angie adds that Nandi was the rhino at the sanctuary that was always referred to as the “mother of the rhinos” and will be dearly missed.
"Nandi had a strong character and most feared by the rangers. She was clever and seemed to enjoy ambushing the rangers that were monitoring her," she adds.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority together with the Pathology Department of Makerere University have conducted an extensive post-mortem to determine the cause of her illness and subsequent death.
She was brought to the sanctuary in 2006 from Disney Animal Kingdom and in 2009 she gave birth to the first rhino at the sanctuary called Obama.
The sanctuary now boosts of 33 Rhinos.