Jacksonville zookeeper hurt in rhino incident

Jacksonville, FL — A zookeeper at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been taken to the hospital for medical evaluation, after being struck by a rhinoceros.

The Zoo confirms their male Southern white rhino, Archie, came in contact with a keeper during what they’re calling a routine training session, which is largely designed to make medical exams easier for staff and less stressful for the animals.

“We teach them to open their mouths, so we can do dental exams. We teach them to life up their feet, so we can examine how their hooves are doing, or their feet, foot pads. We also train them to allow us to take blood. So the training is pretty hands on, although there’s always a safety barrier between the keeper and the animal. There is a lot of contact involved,” says the Zoo’s Executive Director Tony Vecchio.

With rhino training specifically, Vecchio says the safety barrier involves vertical and horizontal bars. It’s not yet clear how the rhino and keeper were able to come in contact, but Vecchio says the keeper was hit with Archie’s horn.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Archie was never out of his closure, and public safety was not compromised.

Vecchio says the keeper was awake and alert when she was transported to the hospital.

“I’ve been around a long time, so I’ve seen lots of stuff. So, I’m not rattled, but I’m worried about any time a keeper gets injured,” he says.

The Zoo says the keeper has since told them “everything is ok”, although the exact nature and extent of her injury is still not clear.

Archie was born in 1969 and has been at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens since 1975. The Zoo says they have not had any prior incidents with Archie.

“He’s a well-liked animal, he has such a good disposition. He’s easy to train and easy to work with,” Vecchio says.

Archie is still on exhibit and the exhibit is open, although Vecchio says they are temporarily stopping their training sessions with the rhinos, pending their investigation in to what happened. FWC says their captive wildlife investigators will also be looking in to the incident.