Doppsee the black rhino is sick, and Potter Park Zoo is looking at why

Yahoo

2 days ago

LANSING — One of Potter Park Zoo's most well-known residents is sick, and keepers are trying to figure out what's wrong with her.
Doppsee, an eastern black rhino, experienced "a medical emergency" on Monday, July 28, "as her behaviors indicated a very sudden decline in her health," zoo officials said in a Facebook posting on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 29.
The zoo's veterinary team was trying to assess her condition so they can treat her, officials said.
Veterinarian Ronan Eustace, the zoo's director of animal health, said staff noticed signs that were "acute in nature." Doppsee stopped eating and seemed to be uncomfortable and much quieter than usual, he said. There were signs of colic, for which there could be many causes, he said.
A large group of specialists from Michigan State University and other zoos were trying to figure out what's going on, Eustace said. But as of Tuesday afternoon, they had found no hard answers, he said.
"Doppsee is responding somewhat positively, but she isn't back to normal yet," he said. "She's a pretty important part of the zoo and the community, and we're doing our best to help her," Eustace said.
The social media post said Doppsee was undergoing treatment and resting inside her barn while under constant monitoring.
Doppsee, now 18, came to the Lansing zoo in 2011, Her pairing with Phineus in 2017 produced a male calf born in December 2019. The calf was named Jaali.
Black rhino births in captivity are relatively rare, and Jaali, the first black rhino calf ever born at Potter Park Zoo, captured the hearts of animal fans around the world.
Jaali was moved to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in California in 2021 and paired with a female rhino from a zoo in Ohio as part of the Species Survival Plan, said Amy Morris-Hall, executive director of the Potter Park Zoological Society.
The well-mannered Doppsee has long been one of the zoo's most well-known and beloved residents, Morris-Hall said. As part of the zoo's educational programming, she's met thousands of school children.
Keepers stayed with her all night on July 28, and staff were busy trying to evaluate her, Morris-Hall said.
The eastern black rhino is critically endangered, with an estimated 5,000 living in the wild, Morris-Hall said. There are about 57 black rhinos living at zoos, she said.
"I hope the community will keep the zoo team in their thoughts," Morris-Hall said.
Contact Ken Palmer at [e-mail]. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Doppsee the black rhino is sick, and Potter Park Zoo is looking at why
Solve the daily Crossword