Jul 18, 2024 - History

How SF Zoo's Elly became America's oldest black rhino

Shawna Chen

Photo of two black rhinos, one female and beside her a calf, inside an enclosed area at a zoo — Elly and her newborn at the San Francisco Zoo in 1998. Photo: Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

San Francisco Zoo was home to Elly, the U.S.'s oldest Eastern black rhino, for 42 years.

Why it matters: Black rhinos remain critically endangered. Their population in the wild decreased by 96% from about 65,000 in 1970 to only 2,300 in 1993, according to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF).

Flashback: Though born in the wild, Elly called San Francisco home from 1974 until she died in 2016. The 1,800-pound rhino was a favorite at the zoo's annual celebrations in observance of World Rhino Day (Sept. 22).

She enjoyed rolling in the mud, smashing pumpkins and eating watermelon, SFGATE notes.
Her caretakers loved treating her to "cakes" made of oats and molasses.

Over the decades, she birthed 14 calves and went on to have 15 grand-calves, six great-grand calves and a great-great-grand calf.

Fun fact: Her grand-calf Boone is named after the San Francisco 49ers' former right tackle, Alex Boone.
Elly died from age-related conditions at 46.

What they said: "As one of our longest-standing residents, Elly was an outstanding animal ambassador for the endangered black rhino species," San Francisco Zoo president Tanya M. Peterson said at the time of her death.

"We are grateful to have celebrated many wonderful years with Elly."

The big picture: There are over 6,400 wild black rhinos today, per IRF.

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How SF Zoo's Elly became America's oldest black rhino

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