Vince (rhinoceros)

Vince
Species Southern White Rhinoceros
Sex Male
Born (2012-09-22)22 September 2012
Royal Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, The Netherlands
Died 5 March 2017(2017-03-05) (aged 4)
Parc Zoologique de Thoiry, Thoiry, Yvelines, France
Known for First rhinoceros to be killed inside a zoo in Europe[1][2]

Vince (22 September 2012 – 5 March 2017) was a Southern white rhinoceros who was killed by poachers inside a zoo in Thoiry near Paris, France.

Birth and life

Vince was born on 22 September 2012 at Royal Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, Netherlands. He was the second calf produced by 12-year-old Kwanzaa and her 20-year-old mate Gilou. Vince was born six weeks premature.[3][4] On 6 November 2012 he was introduced to other safari animals at the Zoo.[5]

In March 2015, Vince and another rhinoceros Bruno were transferred to Parc Zoologique de Thoiry in France.[6][7] He lived in an enclosure with two other rhinoceroses, Bruno and Gracie.[8] The three animals bonded, and Vince and Bruno, who were the same age, often played together.[9]

Killing

On 5 March 2017, Vince was shot three times and killed by poachers. They stole one of his horns after sawing it off with a chainsaw, and partially sawed off his second horn.[10][11][8][12][13][14] The rhinoceros horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine and Asian cultures,[15] and a single horn can be sold for up to $300,000 on the black market.[16]

On his death, Thierry Duguet, the head of the zoo, said "There has never been a case like this in a zoo in Europe, an assault of such violence, evidently for this stupid trafficking of rhinoceros horns".[11] French Minister Ségolène Royal called the killing a "criminal act."[11]

References

  1. ↑ Forster, Katie (8 March 2017). "Poachers break into Paris zoo, shoot rhino dead and steal its horn". The Independent. Retrieved 8 March 2017. This is thought to be the first time in Europe a live animal living in captivity has been killed by poachers.
  2. ↑ Samuel, Henry (7 March 2017). "'Heinous' poachers break into Paris zoo and shoot white rhino three times in the head for its horn". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2017. Thierry Duquet, the zoo director, said that the "extremely shocking" attack was a first in Europe.
  3. ↑ "Dutch zoo welcomes brand new baby white rhino". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Gates, Sara (26 September 2012). "Rare White Rhino 'Vince' Born Prematurely At Burgers' Zoo, Netherlands (VIDEO)". Retrieved 6 April 2017 – via Huff Post.
  5. ↑ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - The white rhinoceros Vince of Burgers' Zoo in the Dutch city Arnhem and born in September, plunged his self Thuesday (6-11-2012) into a new adventure. For the first time in his". alamy.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "ARNHEM - In Burgers' Zoo in the Dutch city Arnhem the 2.5 year old white rhinoceros Vince was Monday 9-3-2015 loaded and put on transport to the animal zoo Thoyry in France". alamy.com. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Young white rhinoceros Vince and Bruno arrive at Thoiry Zoo near Paris". thesun.co.uk. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  8. 1 2 Willsher, Kim (7 March 2017). "Rhino shot dead by poachers at French zoo". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "At Blair Drummond Safari Park we have been part of the European Endangered Species Programme – EEP – since the early 2000s.". blairdrummond.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  10. ↑ "White rhino shot dead in French zoo, horn sawn off". Reuters. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 Breeden, Aurelien (7 March 2017). "Rhinoceros Is Killed for Its Horn at Wildlife Park Near Paris". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "Poachers Break Into French Zoo, Kill White Rhino And Steal His Horn". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  13. ↑ "Poachers kill rhino for his horn at French zoo". BBC News. 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  14. ↑ "Poachers Kill Rhino in Brazen Attack at French Zoo". 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
  15. ↑ Hsu, Jeremy. "The Hard Truth about the Rhino Horn "Aphrodisiac" Market". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "White rhino Vince in Paris zoo shot dead, horn hacked off". theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
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