Zookeepers Kill Rare White Rhino
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BROUSSARD, La. — Zookeepers shot and killed a rare white rhinoceros Thursday after it broke out of its enclosure, crossed a highway and charged a veterinarian who hoped it could be subdued with a tranquilizer dart.
The 3 1/2-ton female, which had been at the privately owned Zoo of Acadiana for only two weeks, broke through a sturdy welded pipe fence after fighting with a male rhino, curator Ron Cline said.
The rhino’s owner bought it from a breeding facility in Clifton, Texas, Cline said. The animal’s age was estimated at 10 years and it was believed to be pregnant.
About 6,000 white rhinos exist worldwide.
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