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Marina, a white rhino, came to the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1999 and lived in the African Grasslands habitat. The 21-year-old weighed about 4,000 pounds. White rhinos are listed internationally as a near-threatened species. An older female and one male still live at the zoo.
Senior hoofstock keeper Kelly Goodyear, left, comforts Marina the rhino by feeding her grass hay and a sweet treat of Omelene at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Jan. 31, 2019. Meanwhile, associate veterinarian Adrienne Atkins and senior hoofstock keeper Mike Benner, right, prepare to perform a reproductive ultrasound.
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's hoofstock crew performed a reproductive ultrasound on Marina, a 20-year-old southern white rhino, on Jan. 31, 2019. The procedure was performed in the white rhino barn at the zoo.
Marina lived in the African Grasslands habitat and came to the Omaha zoo in 1999. The 21-year-old white rhino weighed about 4,000 pounds.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Marina, a white rhino, came to the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1999 and lived in the African Grasslands habitat. The 21-year-old weighed about 4,000 pounds. White rhinos are listed internationally as a near-threatened species. An older female and one male still live at the zoo.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Senior hoofstock keeper Kelly Goodyear, left, comforts Marina the rhino by feeding her grass hay and a sweet treat of Omelene at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Jan. 31, 2019. Meanwhile, associate veterinarian Adrienne Atkins and senior hoofstock keeper Mike Benner, right, prepare to perform a reproductive ultrasound.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Efforts to inseminate Marina, here with Kelly Goodyear during an ultrasound, were unsuccessful.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium's hoofstock crew performed a reproductive ultrasound on Marina, a 20-year-old southern white rhino, on Jan. 31, 2019. The procedure was performed in the white rhino barn at the zoo.
The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Tuesday announced the death of a female white rhino.
Marina, a 21-year-old white rhino, was euthanized Monday after the discovery of an inoperable colonic obstruction, zoo officials said in a statement.
Marina was being treated for symptoms similar to colic after zoo staff noticed that she appeared lethargic last Wednesday, a zoo spokeswoman told The World-Herald. When she didn’t respond appropriately to medical treatment, she underwent a surgical procedure, and doctors discovered the obstruction.
Marina lived in the African Grasslands habitat and came to the Omaha zoo in 1999.
Omaha’s staff previously had collaborated with rhino specialists at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to inseminate Marina, but she didn’t become pregnant.
Currently, one male and one female live in the zoo.
White rhinos are listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
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The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium introduced a week-old female giraffe on March 23, 2012. The calf was the first born at Omaha's zoo since 2007 but the 29th overall since 1979. Giraffe calves are usually six feet tall and 150 pounds at birth. Within an hour of birth, calves are usually up and nursing.
A vampire bat is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.
Twin white-handed gibbons sit in their mother's lap on Friday, June 10, 2011, in the Henry Doorly Zoo's Lied Jungle. The rare twins were born on April 13, 2011.
Nicole Linafelter feeds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.
Little Joe, a 450-pound lion, is seen on Aug. 9, 1950. Sold to Omaha Parks and Recreation by Council Bluffs poundmaster Chris Christensen, Little Joe didn't like his cage. He lunged at passers-by, sweeping his paw at the shadows of onlookers.
Incoming first-graders at Bancroft Elementary and zoo day camp students got a sneak peek at the new Zoo Academy and Children's Adventure Trails at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on June 29, 2017.
Gail Yanney and Dr. Lee Simmons have their hands full while holding a python at at zoo benefit. Guests took turns petting the python during the Zoofari VII Fundraiser at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Sept. 11, 1989.
Two red-fronted macaws fly on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the opening of the Holland Meadowlark Amphitheater at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The area will be used for live bird shows, held three times a day and featuring 15 species of birds.
In the Desert Dome, Zachery Torres, a sophomore at Omaha South High School, cleans the glass around the turkey vulture exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
An Amur tiger cub shows the start of his fangs on Aug. 18, 2016, at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The cubs were vaccinated and chipped during their debut that morning.
A pair of vampire bats are seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.
W.W. Laird says a final goodbye to a pair of lion cubs on Sept. 21, 1967. When the Clyde Brothers Circus came to Hastings, W.W. Laird, a friend of circus man Howarad Suesz, noticed a sick lion. She took it to the vet, but the animal died. Suesz asked Laird to take the 5-week-old lion cubs, Freckles and Speckles, to make sure they didn't get sick. The cubs became too large to be in the Lairds' home, so Laird donated the cats, then 4 1/2 months old, to the Henry Doorly Zoo.
Nicole Linafelter holds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.
A white-handed gibbon baby peeks out at its surroundings while its mom swings along at the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Oct. 24, 2003. The baby was born Sunday, October 5. Gibbons, the smallest of the apes, live in small family groups consisting of the mated pair and their immature offspring.
Matt Simon holds up his 2-year-old son, Simon, to get a better view of Wgasa, a Bornean orangutan, as he enjoys a Valentine's Day treat at the Henry Doorly Zoo Tuesday Feb. 14, 2012. Zoo employees put treats out for the animals, including heart-shaped frozen Kool-Aid.
When Penelope, a pink Yorkshire hog, takes a dip in the water tank at the Henry Doorly Zoo, there's no doubt that the other animals have to wait their turn. Watching an impatient Rasputin the goat are Mr. and Mrs. Jeome Paulsen and their 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Jennifer, in August of 1969.
West Coast sea nettles float in the water at the new Ocean Drifters exhibit, which features five species of jellyfish, at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
Chimps Tamba, left, and Pedro are seen at the zoo in 1959. Pedro was purchased from the Detroit Zoo as a mate for Tamba in 1958. The mischievous chimps got on well; the two were known to break into cages and let the other monkeys out.
A female sea lion touches noses with a pup in the Sea Lion Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, July 2, 2015. Two sea lion pups were born June 6 and June 8.
Dr. Lee Simmons and zoo workers unload a crate holding one of the new tigers brought to the Henry Doorly Zoo for the white tiger breeding program in August of 1978.
Two western diamond-backed rattlesnakes are seen inside Rattlesnake Canyon, a $125,000 new addition inside the Desert Dome, on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Rattlesnake Canyon is the home of 13 animals, including eight species of lizards and two species of snakes.
This photo, published in The World-Herald in 1980, was accompanied by the following caption: "The female gorillas have joined the corps of TV widows. Like a husband intent on boob-tube football, Casey, patriarch at the Henry Doorly Zoo, studies the sitcoms and soap operas on a television outside of his cage. It's part of an experiment, a zoo spokesman said. If the Nielsen ratings people called Casey, the would find he likes to see women, the 'Flinstones' and any other kind of action, a staff member said."
A white stork ambles abut the men's restroom near the sea lions' pool at the Henry Doorly Zoo in November of 1985. Since the restrooms were not needed for visitors in the wintertime, the storks and other animals spent the winter months in them.
Lee Simmons III, 9, and an unnamed baby gorilla console each other during a bout of chicken pox in April of 1971. The baby gorilla was kept at Henry Doorly Zoo director Lee Simmons' home after coming down with the childhood disease. Lee's children both had it too.
Photos: 106 of our favorite shots of Omaha’s Henry Doorly zoo creatures through the years
Through the years, Omaha's Henry Doorly zoo has cared for animals as large as elephants and as small as tree frogs, offering the public a broad look at the earth's biodiversity.
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The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium introduced a week-old female giraffe on March 23, 2012. The calf was the first born at Omaha's zoo since 2007 but the 29th overall since 1979. Giraffe calves are usually six feet tall and 150 pounds at birth. Within an hour of birth, calves are usually up and nursing.
JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD
A vampire bat is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
An African lion rests at the Henry Doorly Zoo on a hot summer day in July 1971.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Five baby rockhopper penguin chicks were on display at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
An emperor angelfish swims at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Twin white-handed gibbons sit in their mother's lap on Friday, June 10, 2011, in the Henry Doorly Zoo's Lied Jungle. The rare twins were born on April 13, 2011.
DANIELLE BEEBE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nicole Linafelter feeds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Little Joe, a 450-pound lion, is seen on Aug. 9, 1950. Sold to Omaha Parks and Recreation by Council Bluffs poundmaster Chris Christensen, Little Joe didn't like his cage. He lunged at passers-by, sweeping his paw at the shadows of onlookers.
JOHN SAVAGE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Incoming first-graders at Bancroft Elementary and zoo day camp students got a sneak peek at the new Zoo Academy and Children's Adventure Trails at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on June 29, 2017.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Elephants make their public debut at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Wednesday, April 6, 2016.
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Gail Yanney and Dr. Lee Simmons have their hands full while holding a python at at zoo benefit. Guests took turns petting the python during the Zoofari VII Fundraiser at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Sept. 11, 1989.
PHIL JOHNSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Black-handed spider monkeys climb in their habitat at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two red-fronted macaws fly on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the opening of the Holland Meadowlark Amphitheater at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The area will be used for live bird shows, held three times a day and featuring 15 species of birds.
SARAH HOFFMAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
In the Desert Dome, Zachery Torres, a sophomore at Omaha South High School, cleans the glass around the turkey vulture exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A klipspringer hangs out in its enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Spider monkeys rest in the lagoon area at the Henry Doorly Zoo's new African Grasslands exhibit on Friday, May 27, 2016.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A group of female impala are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Lions Johnny and Sandy are seen on Aug. 12, 1965. The lions were featured in the Zoo's Who that year.
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
An Amur tiger cub shows the start of his fangs on Aug. 18, 2016, at the Henry Doorly Zoo. The cubs were vaccinated and chipped during their debut that morning.
MEGAN SMITH/THE WORLD-HERALD
A pair of vampire bats are seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on Oct. 29, 2013. The zoo teamed up with Iowa State University to find the best food for vampire bats, which each need about 2 tablespoons of blood a day.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Mfisha nuzzles one of her baby lion cubs at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, March 29, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
W.W. Laird says a final goodbye to a pair of lion cubs on Sept. 21, 1967. When the Clyde Brothers Circus came to Hastings, W.W. Laird, a friend of circus man Howarad Suesz, noticed a sick lion. She took it to the vet, but the animal died. Suesz asked Laird to take the 5-week-old lion cubs, Freckles and Speckles, to make sure they didn't get sick. The cubs became too large to be in the Lairds' home, so Laird donated the cats, then 4 1/2 months old, to the Henry Doorly Zoo.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
Nicole Linafelter holds a sleepy African lion cub at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Friday, Jan. 4, 2012. The runt of the litter, the cub had been removed from her mother's care, and Linafelter, a veterinary technician, was one of the people caring for the then-week-old cub.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A male African lion is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
A klipspringer calf roams its new home at the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium's Desert Dome on Monday, March 25, 2013.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A white-handed gibbon baby peeks out at its surroundings while its mom swings along at the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Oct. 24, 2003. The baby was born Sunday, October 5. Gibbons, the smallest of the apes, live in small family groups consisting of the mated pair and their immature offspring.
JEFF BEIERMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Zoo visitors crowd around an exhibit to see a baby gorilla at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1996.
KILEY CHRISTIAN CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sepilok, a Bornean orangutan, holds her baby at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Swans swim through the steam rising off their heated pond at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Dec. 15, 2009.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A lined day gecko sits on a branch in the new Madagascar exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on April 29, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female Amur tiger cub, born June 22, 2010, is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 20, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A baby male Francois langur, born August 11, 2010, is seen on Oct. 15, 2010, at the Henry Doorly Zoo.
JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD
Matt Simon holds up his 2-year-old son, Simon, to get a better view of Wgasa, a Bornean orangutan, as he enjoys a Valentine's Day treat at the Henry Doorly Zoo Tuesday Feb. 14, 2012. Zoo employees put treats out for the animals, including heart-shaped frozen Kool-Aid.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Fish swim at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
When Penelope, a pink Yorkshire hog, takes a dip in the water tank at the Henry Doorly Zoo, there's no doubt that the other animals have to wait their turn. Watching an impatient Rasputin the goat are Mr. and Mrs. Jeome Paulsen and their 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Jennifer, in August of 1969.
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
West Coast sea nettles float in the water at the new Ocean Drifters exhibit, which features five species of jellyfish, at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Penguins jump in and out of the water at the redesigned and newly renovated Scott Aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo on March 26, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
Preston, an Amur leopard, shows his fangs while in his exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Oct. 19, 2012.
KENT SIEVERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female Amur tiger, born June 22, 2010, tries to sneak up on her mother Tiksi at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Aug. 20, 2010.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A pygmy hippopotamus calf, born Feb. 22, 2013, is seen with its mother in the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday April 18, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
A fossa pup does target training with Ryan Sears, supervisor at Expedition Madagascar, at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday April 25, 2013.
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Chimps Tamba, left, and Pedro are seen at the zoo in 1959. Pedro was purchased from the Detroit Zoo as a mate for Tamba in 1958. The mischievous chimps got on well; the two were known to break into cages and let the other monkeys out.
YANO MELINGAGIO/THE WORLD-HERALD
A mountain chicken frog is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
A young gray tree frog, native to Omaha, is shown at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
An adult male South African bullfrog is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013.
BRYNN ANDERSON/THE WORLD-HERALD
Casey the gorilla is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo in 1974.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
Macaws perch on branches after feeding on Jan. 29, 2011, as thousands of people took advantage of the Henry Doorly Zoo's Community Free Day.
MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sam the giraffe is seen at the Henry Doorly Zoo on July 29, 2008.
KILEY CRUSE/THE WORLD-HERALD
A female sea lion touches noses with a pup in the Sea Lion Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, July 2, 2015. Two sea lion pups were born June 6 and June 8.
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Dr. Lee Simmons and zoo workers unload a crate holding one of the new tigers brought to the Henry Doorly Zoo for the white tiger breeding program in August of 1978.
ROBERT TAYLOR/THE WORLD-HERALD
A meerkat is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Tuesday, April 5, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Two western diamond-backed rattlesnakes are seen inside Rattlesnake Canyon, a $125,000 new addition inside the Desert Dome, on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Rattlesnake Canyon is the home of 13 animals, including eight species of lizards and two species of snakes.
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
This photo, published in The World-Herald in 1980, was accompanied by the following caption: "The female gorillas have joined the corps of TV widows. Like a husband intent on boob-tube football, Casey, patriarch at the Henry Doorly Zoo, studies the sitcoms and soap operas on a television outside of his cage. It's part of an experiment, a zoo spokesman said. If the Nielsen ratings people called Casey, the would find he likes to see women, the 'Flinstones' and any other kind of action, a staff member said."
ROBERT PASKACH/THE WORLD-HERALD
An Egyptian goose is seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Zebras are seen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
MEGAN FARMER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Marina, a white rhino, walks in a pen at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo on Thursday, April 28, 2016.