Rhino escapes enclosure at Omaha Zoo

3 years ago 399

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - An escaped rhinoceros prompted visitors astatine Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium to shelter-in-place Tuesday afternoon.

According to a merchandise from the zoo, Jontu the Indian rhino was recovered successful beforehand of the rhino enclosure, connected behind-the-scenes way down the aviary astir 1 p.m.

No subordinate of the nationalist was successful information astatine immoderate point, according to Dan Cassidy, vice president of carnal absorption astatine the zoo.

Cassidy said zookeepers and officials utilized centrifugal vehicles — including the zoo’s tram — to barricade the rhino from wandering farther from the Asian Highlands rhino grounds and to corral him. Staff members utilized apples and different tactics to “entice” the carnal backmost into its due enclosure.

“He was retired for astir 50 minutes, but helium went backmost in,” Cassidy said. “Nobody got hurt, and nary animals got hurt, truthful everything went well.”

Upon learning of the animal’s escape, zoo officials enacted exigency protocols and “guests, students, and unit were instantly taken to a unafraid location.”

All introduction points to the zoo were besides closed astatine that time.

Zookeepers reported nary signs of aggression and were connected show with tranquilizers had the rhino escaped beyond the conveyance barricade. It is reported that a gross was not decently locked and zoo officials were unaware of this being an contented anterior to the rhino’s escape.

“It wasn’t locked rather right, and helium conscionable nosed the doorway unfastened to fto himself out,” Cassidy said. “We’re besides going to enactment a secondary gross there.”

Cassidy stated that astir each of the different carnal enclosures person secondary gates. He said the unfastened country wherever the rhino was recovered volition beryllium reinforced with fencing truthful that “In the improbable lawsuit this were to hap again, helium would beryllium adjacent much confined.”

Henry Doorly officials confirmed successful a merchandise astatine astir 2:25 p.m. that the carnal had been contained and the zoo had resumed mean concern operations.

“Everyone is safe,” a merchandise from the zoo to parents of a pupil programme said.