Zoo keepers only made the macabre discovery of the dead white rhino, which had been a resident since 2015, on Tuesday morning.

Thoiry zoo described the attack as a 'heinous act' on its Facebook page.

“Vince was found this morning by his carer who, very attached to animals, is deeply affected," it wrote.

“This heinous act was carried out despite the presence of five members of the zoological staff living on site and surveillance cameras.”

It added: “The other two white rhino living in Thoiry, Gracie 37 years old and Bruno 5 years of age, have escaped the massacre and are safe and sound."