The reason for the death was not confirmed, however. One source claimed that it died from infection in the front right leg that he had been suffering since April. He added that the authorities pushed a 1000 cc injection through the vein near its left ear.

Yet another source blamed the death on the scorching heat. The zoo officials were not available for comments.

The authorities have formed a three-member committee to probe the death. The zoo sources said the body of the four-metre long, 36-inch tall rhino weighing 2,000 kilogram will be buried at the zoo premises after autopsy.

The late Nepalese King Raja Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev gifted the rhino couple to Dhaka zoo back in 1992 when they were six months old.

Zoo sources said his partner, Kanchi, has become depressed about the death and is not eating anything since then. The rhinos reached adulthood at seven but have no offspring.