Zoo Tries to Get Rhinos in the Mood

Pittsburgh Zoo visitors could see some hot and very heavy action in the rhino yard in coming days as black rhinoceroses meet and mate for the first time.

The coupling, if it occurs, will involve Azzizi, a 10-year-old female born at the Cleveland Zoo, and 14-year-old Jomo, who was born at the San Diego Zoo and came to Pittsburgh when he was a year old.

Barbara Baker, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium president and chief operating officer, held a news conference outside the rhino yard today to alert zoo visitors that they could be witness to some rough but "entertaining" animal sex.

"When in the mood," Dr. Baker said, "rhinos are very aggressive toward one another. They will roar, chase, and even hit each other before they actually mate. The entire breeding event can last anywhere from two to three hours and can sometimes be violent."

The last black Rhino birth in Pittsburgh occurred 30 years ago.

If the zoo's current residents successfully mate, a new rhino calf would be born in 15 to 16 months and weigh in at between 70 and 100 pounds.

Adult black rhinos, which are actually gray, weigh between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds. They are considered endangered in the wild where they number about 4,240.