The death of a black rhinoceros at the Los Angeles Zoo leaves little more than 100 of these endangered animals in captivity in U.S. zoos.

        Sweet Pea was 24 years old and had been at the Los Angeles Zoo since 1979. But she was born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1976. The rhino was euthanized Friday because her health was failing, and she did not respond to treatments.

Eddie walks in his enclosure with his mother, Julie (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

       

        Sweet Pea is one of 18 black rhinos born at the Cincinnati Zoo, the 18th being a male born Oct. 17, 1999. He was named Eddie after Ed Maruska, the zoo's retired executive director who is past coordinator of the black rhino species survival plan.

        “We have the U.S. record for captive black rhino births, and we rank second worldwide,” said Barb Rish, spokeswoman for the zoo here.
        The Cincinnati Zoo has three black rhinos on its grounds, two males and a female.

        She said there are about 3,000 black rhinos remaining in the wild in Africa. Only about 200 live in captivity worldwide.

        Their numbers have been decimated over the years, mostly because of loss of habitat and poaching, especially for its horns.

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