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Rhino cub Tayo turned 14 months old (photo from 2020)
Photo: Daniel Baumbach / dpa
Two rhinos died in the Erfurt Zoo within a short time.
Two days after the death of 14-month-old rhino boy Tayo, his mother Marcita was found dead in her box on Friday morning.
"We are all deeply shaken," said zoo director Sabine Merz.
The cause of the rhino death is still unclear.
So far there have been no signs of external influences.
The zoo remained closed on Friday due to salvage work in the rhino house.
Marcita is now being examined by pathologists for wild and zoo animals.
Currently there is not even a suspicion.
One generally investigates "in all conceivable directions," said Merz.
Rhino mom mourned cub
According to the zoo director, rhinos usually live to be 20 to 25, sometimes up to 40 years old.
Marcita was only 17.
The rhino lady clearly mourned Tayo and kept calling her cub, but was otherwise well, like her calf before his death, said Merz.
“I've seldom found ourselves groping in the dark like this.
Out of the blue - and then two.
I can't believe it."
Marcita has lived in the Erfurt Zoo for about five years.
In January, the zoo celebrated the 17th birthday of the rhino cow.
She was already pregnant for the third time.
The offspring was expected in autumn 2022.
The rhino population in Erfurt had recently shrunk to Marcita and her second son Tayo due to the resettlement of other rhinos.
ptz/dpa
