SAN DIEGO : Rare Rhinoceros Dies at Zoo

A rare Sumatran rhinoceros, one of only five in the United States, died at the San Diego Zoo after her large colon twisted, zoo officials said Tuesday.

Veterinarians discovered a 360-degree twist in the large colon of the 13-year-old female Monday morning. The rhino died before the veterinarians were able to operate.

The female rhino arrived here from Sumatra in November. She was intended to be part of a cooperative international breeding program between the Indonesian government and several U.S. zoos for the endangered species.

On Monday morning, zookeepers noticed that the rhino seemed to have colic and summoned the veterinarians. According to preliminary reports, the animal had been in good health and experts are unsure why the colon twisted.

The animal’s death is a blow to the fledgling breeding program.

Only one female Sumatran rhino remains at the San Diego Zoo. The Bronx Zoo in New York and the Los Angeles Zoo each have a female Sumatran. The Cincinnati Zoo has a male. Experts say that only 500 to 700 Sumatran rhinos exist in the wild.