RIP Spike :(
I just found out that the black rhino at Potter Park Zoo died this past weekend. At first I thought "well shit, how do I get in on THOSE pathology rounds?" Then as I investigated further I noticed the rhino's name was Spike. I thought "Hmm, Spike must be just a very common rhino name" since the male rhino at Cleveland Zoo was named Spike. I dug a little further though... and found out that it's the same Spike. The same Spike I used to walk by every day because our little parking lot was right next to the rhino building. The same Spike whose baby I felt in her mom's tummy before she was born, then got to see many times as a cute little rumbly tumbly rhino baby. The same Spike who was a seriously awesome rhino and used to snuffle through the fence when we walked by. It's just... really sad. It's not like I even ever interacted with him really but I have such a clear memory of him and how cool he was. :( I feel unexpectedly sad about his death. And I definitely do not want to go to those pathology rounds, because I certainly could not handle seeing Spike's insides strewn about the tables.