Indiana Radio Personality Remembers Time Spent With Artistic and Beloved Evansville Zoo Rhino

During my career in radio, I have had the opportunity to do many extraordinary things.

It has been truly amazing to...

• Experience a ride in a real monster truck, twice
• Be in a cage in the middle of the bull rodeo
• Sit high in the sky in the Viper at the Dream Car Museum
• Go out on the ice at an Evansville Icemen game
• Sit in a Nascar racecar
• Hand out hundreds of free Blake Shelton concert tickets,
• Go on stage at the Ford Center
• Introduce Willie Nelson at the Old National Events Plaza
• Emcee countless charity events for local non-profits
• Make a boys wish for his dying mom come true when they both met Jason Aldean
• Meet country artists that most people would give anything to meet

I have been very fortunate to have had this fun and creative career. I'm thankful every day.

One of the most breathtakingly exciting things that I didn't list, but was able to do back in 2012 was to spend time at the Mesker Park Zoo with Mechi the Rhino.

The reason I was invited to the zoo was to make a couple of videos of me playing with the monkeys and spending quality time with Mechi while she painted a picture for me.

This is the painting she made for me.

Look, she even signed it. ;-)

I just picked out the colors and she did the rest. If I remember correctly, she painted with her upper lip. It was incredible to watch.

After the picture was finished, I got to pet her and feed her. It was, by far the most thrilling experience I have ever had. To look her in the eye, feel skin, have her tongue graze my hand was magical. I get tears in my eyes thinking about it, now. I felt so honored to be so close to her.

Looks like she has a big smile on her face, don't you think so?

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Mechi was a strong, powerful, and gentle soul, who loved to make people happy with her paintings, and I am so happy that I met her.

When my granddaughter would visit Mesker Park Zoo, aside from the fact that she would call the zoo HER zoo, LOL, she would see Mechi and say, There is your friend, Mammy. The one who painted you a picture. 

A picture I will cherish, forever. It's a one-of-a-kind, just like the beautiful and artistic, Mechi.

Mechi had to be euthanized recently because of health issues. Here is what the Mesker Park Zoo posted on social media.