Cacareco

The skull of Cacareco at São Paulo Zoo

Cacareco (1954–1962) was a female black rhinoceros exhibited in Brazilian zoos. She is known for receiving many votes in the 1958 São Paulo city council elections as a form of protest vote. Electoral officials did not accept Cacareco's candidacy, but she eventually won 100,000 votes,[1] more than any other party in that same election (which was also marked by rampant absenteeism).[2]

Cacareco's candidacy inspired the Rhinoceros Party of Canada, nominally led by the rhinoceros Cornelius the First.[3]

History

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Printed ballots with Cacareco's name for the São Paulo city council elections of October 4, 1959
Printed ballots with Cacareco's name for the São Paulo city council elections of October 4, 1959

Cacareco was born in 1954 at the Jardim Zoológico do Rio de Janeiro.[4] She was the daughter of rhinoceroses Britador and Terezinha. In 1958 she was loaned for three months, on the occasion of the opening of São Paulo Zoo.[5] In that year there were elections being held for the city council. Journalist Itaboraí Martins, displeased with the candidates' level, proposed the name of Cacareco as a write-in candidate.[1][6]

Cacareco was returned to Rio de Janeiro two days before the elections, where she received 100,000 votes. She was also exhibited at Porto Alegre in 1962, before dying in the same year.[4] Her skeleton is currently on display at the Museum of Anatomy of the University of São Paulo.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Oliveira, Abrahão de (4 October 2019). "'Eleição' da rinoceronte Cacareco para a Câmara Municipal de SP completa 60 anos" [Rhino Cacareco's 'election' to City Council of SP is 60 years old]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). São Paulo. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  2. ^ Carvalho, George de (19 October 1959). "RHINO HORNS IN ON A BRAZILIAN ELECTION". LIFE. Rio de Janeiro: Time Inc. p. 54. ISSN 0024-3019. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Cacareco the Rhinoceros". Museum of Hoaxes. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b Rookmaaker, L. C.; Jones, Marvin L. (1 January 1998). The Rhinoceros in Captivity: A List of 2439 Rhinoceroses Kept from Roman Times to 1994. Kugler Publications. p. 228. ISBN 9789051031348 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Rinoceronte Cacareco chega a SP" [Cacareco Rhino arrives in SP]. Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 16 February 1958. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Quando São Paulo elegeu um rinoceronte - Esquisitices - R7". noticias.r7.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
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