Northern White Rhino dies at San Diego zoo

One of six northern white rhinoceros left in the world, died on Dec. 14 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Angalifu, who was around 44 died of old age, the Associated Press reported.

"Angalifu's death is a tremendous loss to all of us," safari park curator Randy Rieches said in a statement, according to AP. "Not only because he was well beloved here at the park but also because his death brings this wonderful species one step closer to extinction."

The San Diego Zoo Safari tweeted a photo of the rhinoceros Sunday with the hashtag #EndExtinction.

The zoo has one other white rhino named Nola.There are three white rhinos in a preserve in Kenya and one at a zoo in the Czech Republic, according to the AP.

In San Diego, attempts to mate Angalifu and Nola were unsuccessful. Similarly, last week the Old Pejeta animal sanctuary in Kenya announced their one male and two female northern white rhinos could not reproduce naturally, the AP reported.

The sanctuary plans on using in vitro fertilization to retain the species.

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