Species | Southern White Rhinoceros |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Born | Royal Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, The Netherlands | 22 September 2012
Died | 5 March 2017 Parc Zoologique de Thoiry, Thoiry, Yvelines, France | (aged 4)
Known for | First rhinoceros to be illegally 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.
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] He lived in an enclosure with two other rhinoceroses, Bruno and Gracie. [7] The three animals bonded, and Vince and Bruno, who were the same age, often played together. [8]
On 5 March 2017, Vince was shot three times and killed by a group of poachers. They removed one of Vince's horns by using a chainsaw, and partially sawed off his second horn. [9] [10] [7] [11] [12] [13] It is believed[ by whom?] that this attack was conducted in order to collect the rhino's horns and sell them on the black market. Rhinoceros horns are used in traditional Chinese medicine and Asian cultures, [14] and a single horn can be sold for up to $300,000 on the black market. [15]
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". [10] French Minister Ségolène Royal called the killing a "criminal act". [10]
This is thought to be the first time in Europe a live animal living in captivity has been killed by poachers.
Thierry Duquet, the zoo director, said that the "extremely shocking" attack was a first in Europe.
Species | Southern White Rhinoceros |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Born | Royal Burgers' Zoo, Arnhem, The Netherlands | 22 September 2012
Died | 5 March 2017 Parc Zoologique de Thoiry, Thoiry, Yvelines, France | (aged 4)
Known for | First rhinoceros to be illegally 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.
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] He lived in an enclosure with two other rhinoceroses, Bruno and Gracie. [7] The three animals bonded, and Vince and Bruno, who were the same age, often played together. [8]
On 5 March 2017, Vince was shot three times and killed by a group of poachers. They removed one of Vince's horns by using a chainsaw, and partially sawed off his second horn. [9] [10] [7] [11] [12] [13] It is believed[ by whom?] that this attack was conducted in order to collect the rhino's horns and sell them on the black market. Rhinoceros horns are used in traditional Chinese medicine and Asian cultures, [14] and a single horn can be sold for up to $300,000 on the black market. [15]
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". [10] French Minister Ségolène Royal called the killing a "criminal act". [10]
This is thought to be the first time in Europe a live animal living in captivity has been killed by poachers.
Thierry Duquet, the zoo director, said that the "extremely shocking" attack was a first in Europe.