Sumatran Rhino Arrives at L.A. Zoo in Breeding Project

A rare Sumatran rhinoceros--one of perhaps 100 left on Earth--arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday to join in an unusual breeding project that conservationists hope will prevent the extinction of the species.

The 700-pound female was taken to the Los Angeles Zoo to end an eight-day truck, ferry and jetliner trip that started in Sumatra and included a stopover in Jakarta, Indonesia, officials said. Zoo experts will examine the animal today. If she is found to be in good health, she will be put on display Monday, officials said.

The rhino’s arrival ended uncertainty over whether the zoo would continue participation in the Sumatran Rhino Trust, a coalition of four U.S. zoos that has sought to breed the 4-foot-tall, prehistoric-looking creatures.

Late last year, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., which had spent about $400,000 to participate in the breeding program, withdrew from the trust. After angry conservationists and zoo workers protested, city parks officials voted in July to let the zoo rejoin the coalition.