"The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again."
Today, much of the world is unaware of the loss it has experienced. While creatures and humans are born and die each and every day, a very special rhino passed away early this morning. Her name was Nola and she lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for many years. Well past a normal life expectancy at 41 years old, Nola had been experiencing poor health and during round-the-clock monitoring early this morning, the decision was made to euthanize her.
She rests comfortably now. But for those of us who knew her, Nola's passing is a poignant and painfully uncomfortable reminder of what happens when wildlife poaching and trafficking go unchecked. Nola’s passing is another tick on the clock to extinction for the Northern White Rhino, a subspecies of white rhino of which there are only three left in the world. The remaining group, one male and two females, will live out their remaining years as the last few sands through the hourglass of extinction.
There is hope on the horizon, with incredible scientific intervention, but today we mourn the loss of a friend, a companion, and an animal unlike any other. Another heaven and another earth will pass before we see another like her again. Nola was an inspiration for conservation for many visitors. We can only hope her story continues to inspire others to care for their planet and the incredible creatures on it.
Nola has been an inspiration to me throughout my career in San Diego and she will forever stay with me as a gentle reminder of what I aspire to do and to become. She is the reason for my love of rhinos and why I continue to educate anyone and everyone about the catastrophic poaching rates in Africa. She is also a hard shove of a reminder of what can happen when humans turn a blind eye to an ecological crisis.
Rest in peace, dear girl.
