{
  "id": 17353869,
  "title": "Jadu, lone rhino at Thiruvananthapuram zoo, dead",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/jadu-lone-rhino-at-thiruvananthapuram-zoo-dead",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T06:38:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/jadu-lone-rhino-at-thiruvananthapuram-zoo-dead/article71648414.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jadu, the solitary one-horned rhinoceros residing at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo in Kerala for nearly three decades, passed away on Friday evening. The rhino, affectionately known as Shambhu to the zoo staff, had reached the age of 39. He was currently undergoing treatment for age-related health issues. The average lifespan for rhinoceroses typically spans around 35-40 years. A well-known inhabitant of the zoo, Jadu was relocated from the State Zoological Park in Guwahati, Assam, back in May 1993, at a cost of ₹6.5 lakh. At the time of his arrival, he was just five years old. Despite the loneliness of his situation, Jadu had been accompanied by Rita, another female rhinoceros, until she was tragically gored to death by Ramu, a male rhinoceros, in 2004. Ramu, too, succumbed to illness later on. Following this, a post-mortem examination is scheduled to be carried out under the supervision of zoo veterinary surgeon Nikesh Kiran and Harish, a pathologist from the State Institute for Animal Diseases, Palode. The cremation of Jadu is set to take place on Saturday at approximately 3 p.m.",
  "summary": "The rhino, affectionately called Shambhu by zoo staff, was 39",
  "key_points": [
    "Jadu, 39-year-old rhino, died at Thiruvananthapuram zoo",
    "Resided at zoo for nearly 30 years, named Shambhu",
    "Post-mortem to determine cause of death"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The loss of this long-term resident leaves the Thiruvananthapuram zoo without its sole one-horned rhinoceros, marking the end of a three-decade era for the facility's most iconic inhabitant.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}