Archie the 4,000-pound rhinoceros escapes his cage at Jacksonville Zoo

4,000-pound rhinoceros escapes cage at Fla. zoo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Workers at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens spent about five hours trying to get a 4,000-pound rhinoceros back in his cage. Archie was out of his overnight stall when employees showed up for work Thursday morning. He had escaped once before, years ago, and was lured back to his cage with food.

Craig Miller, the zoo’s curator of mammals, said the food didn’t work this time.

About 20 zoo workers corralled Archie in the elephant compound and sedated him. Then he was led down a service road back to his own area.

The 41-year-old white rhino never left zoo property, and there was a fence keeping him from public areas. It appeared the animal was able to escape because someone did not secure the gate.

Information from: The Florida Times-Union, www.jacksonville.com