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First white rhino born in captivity dies in Kenyan conservancy

The rhino died at the age of 34.

By Thor Benson
A three week old female White Rhino stands with her mother Tanda, 21 years, at the Ramat Gan Safari, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 4, 2014. It is the first female White Rhino that has born at the Safari in twenty years. The White Rhino is a species that is critically endangered and has been categorized as NT (near threatened) by the Inter-Union of Conservation of Nature. UPI/Debbie Hill
A three week old female White Rhino stands with her mother Tanda, 21 years, at the Ramat Gan Safari, near Tel Aviv, Israel, September 4, 2014. It is the first female White Rhino that has born at the Safari in twenty years. The White Rhino is a species that is critically endangered and has been categorized as NT (near threatened) by the Inter-Union of Conservation of Nature. UPI/Debbie Hill | License Photo

NANYUKI, Kenya, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The first white rhino to ever be born in captivity has died at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

The conservancy released a statement on Suni the rhino's death: "Our rangers found him on the morning of October 17th, 2014, dead in his boma. Suni was not a victim of poaching and we have yet to establish the cause of his sudden death. The Kenya Wildlife Service vets will conduct a post mortem as soon as possible. In 2006, his father Saút died in the Dvur Kralove Zoo by natural causes at the same age as Suni was now."

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Suni was only one of seven northern white rhinos left in the world.

White rhinos are supposed to live to up to 50 years, so Suni's death came early. The white rhino is one of the world's largest land animals and can only be found living naturally in Africa.

The World Wildlife Fund claims hundreds of different species of rhinos are killed for their horns each year. Some groups in Asian countries believe ground rhino horn has medicinal value.

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Conservancies like Ol Pejeta are often the only places where rhinos can be safe from poachers.

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