Overview
- A male rhino knocked down a zookeeper at Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Garden, causing skull and neck fractures that are not life-threatening.
- Staff were preparing to introduce a male and female for breeding, a process that involves moving the animals between stalls and removing partitions.
- The zoo said a sliding gate was left open, which allowed the male to enter a middle stall and collide with the keeper.
- Two keepers were on the job, and the injured man has roughly 20 years of experience caring for rhinos.
- Zoo officials apologized and said they will tighten work procedures, noting the male measures about 3 meters and can weigh over a ton, which shows the risks of close handling.