Rhino Fight at Virginia Zoo Leaves 1 Dead

Two male rhinoceroses, titans of the animal kingdom at more than two tons each, clashed Sunday night or Monday morning at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, the zoo's director said last night. One was killed.

The zoo's staff, board, volunteers and friends "mourn the passing of our beloved rhino, Rufus," the zoo's Web site said.

Male rhinoceroses "generally don't get along," said zoo Director Greg Bockheim. In the wild, the animals have their own territories. But by mistake, he said, "one of the doors was left open between dens, and the animals had access to each other."

There was "a big fight," and, he said, one of the two southern white rhinoceroses, named Alfred, probably charged Rufus. Rhinos are renowned for having tough hides. But they have horns, can propel their massive bodies about 18 mph and can do damage to their adversaries.

On the outside, Rufus showed only scrapes. "Like scrapes on cement," Bockheim said. But Alfred had struck Rufus "right in the area of his liver," which was lacerated and traumatized, he said.

Likening the animals as akin "to living dinosaurs," he said they are about 10 feet long and about 5 1/2 feet tall. Rufus, he said, weighed about 4,500 pounds. Alfred, he said, weighs slightly less. The animals are actually gray.

The animals have been "very popular" and "very, very charismatic," Bockheim added.

Rufus came to the zoo as a 2-year-old from Africa, where the rhinos live in the wild, and had been at the zoo longer than any other animal.

It's a "terrible loss," Bockheim said.