Rhino escapes at Zoo Miami

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MIAMI, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Officials at a Florida zoo said an Indian rhinoceros escaped its enclosure and was on the loose for about 25 minutes, but never entered any public areas.

Zoo Miami officials said Juanpur, a 21-year-old rhino on loan from Louisiana's Baton Rouge Zoo, set off a "Code Green" about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when he walked through a gate mistakenly left unsecured by a zookeeper, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.

Ron Magill, communications director for the zoo, said Juanpur, nicknamed "Johnny" by zoo staff, never left the adjacent service area and did not go near any public areas. He said zoo patrons were never in danger from the animal, which has poor eyesight.

"We always had a sighting of him," Magill said.

Magill said zoo staff used pickup trucks to herd the 4,640-pound rhinoceros back into its enclosure about 25 minutes after the escape. There were no injuries resulting from the rhino's brief freedom, the spokesman said.