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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jacob Jarvis

'World's oldest rhino' Fausta dies aged 57

A 57-year-old rhino, believed to the world's oldest member of the species, has died.

Fausta, a female black rhino, died of natural causes in captivity on Friday in the Ngorongoro Crater, the Tanzania state conservation body said.

In a statement, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority said: "Records show that Fausta lived (longer) than any rhino in the world and survived in the Ngorongoro, free-ranging, for more than 54 years before it was kept in a sanctuary for the last three years of its life in 2016."

The authority also shared a video of Fausta and wrote: "Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.”

Fausta was first located in 1965 at between three and four years' old.

Her health deteriorated from 2016 after hyena attacks, when she was taken into refuge.

"Fausta survived 57 years without bearing calves," the statement added.

Rhinos' life expectancy is around 40 years in the wild.

However, they can live an extra decade in captivity, according to the Ngorongoro authority.

Decimated by poaching, there are currently around 5,500 black rhinos, according to charity Save The Rhino.

The smaller of the two African species, they are found around south and east Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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