I recently obtained a couple of guide books for Copenhagen (Kobenhavn) Zoo and the years of issue are 1961 and 1963. In both guides there is a photo of a Sumatran Rhino but unfortunately I cannot read Danish so I was wondering what happened to the single specimen at the zoo. Was there more than one member of that species during the 1960's in Denmark?
During 1959 an expedition catched 10 Sumatran Rhinos - 9 females and 1 male. The male however managed to escape and 6 females were released. The 3 remaining females were send to 3 zoos : 1 to Bogor - Indonesia were it died 1961 1 to Basel - Switserland were it died also 1961 1 to Cpenhagen. This animal got the name Subur and died 1972
I have slides of these animals being trapped. A friend went to Copenhagen and took a photo of Subur, I asked him why he took only one photo....his reply "its just another rhino" and if he were alive today he would be on ZooChat daily.
As an aside Basel were given the choice of rhino and chose the younger and more healthy of the two, Copenhagen were saddled with the more unhealthy of the two which then outlived the other rhino by 11 years.
