Zookeepers grieve death of Potter Park Zoo rhino

Grief counselors met with keepers from Potter Park Zoo on Monday following the sudden death of Spike, a 17-year-old black rhino.

Spike was found dead in his stall two days after veterinarians noticed signs of discomfort.

“He was a good animal,” said Tara Harrison, veterinarian and curator at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing. “A lot of the keepers enjoyed seeing him. He’ll certainly be missed.”

Veterinarians said the black rhino stopped eating Wednesday and showed signs of bloating, although no definitive diagnosis could be made.

Spike was given medicine for colic, a condition similar to a human stomach ache, and seemed to improve slightly Thursday, said James Sikarskie, an MSU Zoo and Wildlife Service veterinarian.

The rhino was scheduled to receive more advanced treatment Friday, but Harrison said she didn’t expect a major change in condition.

“Due to the symptoms he was exhibiting, we probably couldn’t have done anything,” she said.

Sikarskie said Spike’s case is the fastest he’s seen a rhino’s condition worsen, although he’s heard of similar instances.

“He probably didn’t show any signs of being sick before Wednesday, but most wild animals hide signs of illness because other animals will try to take advantage of them,” said Sikarskie, a former Potter Park veterinarian who consults with zoo veterinarians regarding animals’ treatment.

Spike arrived from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 2005.

His Potter Park stallmate, who’s been suffering from a foot infection for more than a year, is the only other rhino at the zoo.

Harrison said zookeepers will shift their focus to Spike’s mate for the time being and will consider obtaining a new rhino.

Veterinary pathologists from the MSU Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health are performing a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

The center’s acting director, Thomas Mullaney, said the process of performing a necropsy involves examining the animal’s tissue under a microscope.

Results are expected later this week.

“We literally look for everything,” Mullaney said. “We do a thorough examination of all body systems and collect all tissues from the major organs.”