HONOLULU — Satsuki, a 26-year-old female black rhinoceros, died Monday evening, the Honolulu Zoo announced in a release late Friday.

The release stated that the rhino died from complications associated with illness and age. According to zoo director Linda Santos, Satsuki was showing signs of increased abdominal pressure and rectal prolapse, so veterinarians, curators and keeper staff decided to conduct an emergency procedure on the rhinoceros. Veterinary staff anesthetized the rhinoceros; however, the animal did not wake from the procedure.

“Satsuki was an adorable black rhino known for her particularly long tufts of hair on her ears. She will be dearly missed at Satsuki was always very visible to the public and a favorite of many zoo members and staff who would watch her bathe in her pool and interact with Corky,” Santos said.

The results of a necropsy revealed fluid buildup, infiltrative disease and inflammatory response throughout body tissues. Testing confirmed that SARS-Co-V-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, did not play a role in Satsuki’s death.

The rhinoceros was born on May 16, 1995, at the Asa Zoo in Hiroshima, Japan. The zoo, like its home city, enjoys a sister relationship with Honolulu and its zoo. Satsuki was flown from Hiroshima to Honolulu in 1999 to join Corky, the zoo’s male rhino. Although the pair were companions for 22 years, they never successfully reproduced.

The black rhinoceros are native to eastern and southern Africa and are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their average lifespan ranges from 35 to 50 years.