Zoo visitor scares rhinos by jumping into their enclosure, taking a swim in New Zealand
UPDATE (4/20): This story was updated to include comments from the Auckland Zoo.
The updated stories is below.
A man jumped into the rhinoceros enclosure at a zoo in New Zealand, scaring the animals and spending several minutes swimming in the habitat’s pond, according to several local outlets.
Part of the dangerous incident was captured on video shared Tuesday, April 18.
The man was visiting Auckland Zoo when he decided to jump into the rhino habitat midday, reported Stuff, a local New Zealand news outlet. Witnesses said the man walked toward the hill where the animals were gathered.
The unexpected visitor startled the rhinos and antelope, which moved to the far end of the enclosure, Auckland Zoo told McClatchy News.
“People were murmuring thinking that he was a zookeeper until he got in the water and went swimming,” one witness told the New Zealand Herald.
The man spent several minutes swimming in the enclosure’s pond, the Auckland Zoo said. He swam around the pond and splashed water on his head several times, another video shared on an Instagram story by Jemma Louise shows.
Zoo staff kept the rhinos at the back of the enclosure while security removed the man, 1News reported. Police took the man into custody and later released him when no charges were filed.
No people or animals were injured, police told Stuff.
“We are all very relieved that there were no injuries to either the animals or people as a result of what happened this morning,” Auckland Zoo director Kevin Buley said in the release. “We hope that the man involved gets the help and support that he very clearly needs.”
The man put himself and the rhinoceroses in considerable danger, zoologist Mark Vette told the New Zealand Herald.
“People just don’t realize (rhinoceroses are) very fast, they’ve got poor vision, they’ve got good smell, they’re two-and-a-half tons, they’ve got a big point on their head and they can kill you,” he said. “It’s a bit like getting in with a two-and-a-half-ton bus with a big point on its front potentially running at you.”
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Zoo visitor scares rhinos by jumping into their enclosure, taking a swim in New Zealand."
