The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is morning the loss of one of its largest animals.
The Zoo says Jomo, a 30-year-old male eastern black rhinoceros was euthanized on Thursday due to age-related issued.
The Zoo says Jomo was one of the oldest rhinoceroses in North American and had been undergoing treatment over the past several weeks.
But, last week, Jomo’s health declined with loss of appetite and increased lethargy.
The Zoo says staff made Jomo as comfortable as possible and after several meetings, it was decided that there were no remaining options for him.
Born in 1995 at the San Diego Zoo, Jomo lived well beyond the median life expectancy for black rhinos (20.2 years).
Jomo was the last remaining rhino at the Zoo.
“Jomo was one of the nicest animals in the Zoo,” said Vice President of Living Collections Dr. Chris Bonar. “In fact, he was one of the nicest animals that I ever met. He will be greatly missed.” Assistant Curator of Mammals Karen Vacco said, “I’m honored that Jomo has been a part of my life since the day he arrived. I will miss giving him back rubs until he fell asleep and the baby soft spot behind his ears. He will be missed by so many.”
You can share your memories and learn more about Jomo here.
