Grandpa Toby, who is also known as Nonno Toby, the world’s oldest rhino, has passed away at the age of 5 after he fell over on his way to bed.
Toby passed away on October 6, 2021, said Elisa Livia Pennacchioni from Parco Natura Viva in Veneto, Italy.
Grandpa Toby collapsed on the floor on the way back to his nighttime shelter and just 30 minutes after that, his heart stopped.
Toby was known for his kindness towards fellow zoo inhabitants and was handed out the title “grandpa” because he was looking after a lot of hippos and antelopes that were in his enclosure.
The Rhino also had a pretty big online following in Italy.
Talking about the death of Grandpa Toby, Elisa Livia Pennacchioni said:
He collapsed on the floor on the way back to his nighttime shelter, and after about half an hour, his heart stopped.
Toby is going to be embalmed and will be placed on display at the MuSe Science Museum in Trento, where he is going to be joining Blanco, a white lion who died at the zoo 5 years ago.
White Rhinos normally have a life span of up to 40 years when held in captivity and just 30 years if they are in the wild.
Rest easy, big guy.