The State - News from Nov. 11, 1987

A burst blood vessel probably caused the death of a female white rhinoceros sent from the San Diego Zoo to an Oregon wildlife park for breeding, a veterinarian said. Dr. Michael Briggs, veterinarian for the Wildlife Safari park in Winston, about 70 miles south of Eugene, said final results of a post-mortem examination he performed on the 26-year-old rhino Maguhgyani will not be available for several days, but he felt fairly confident about his initial findings. “Basically, she bled to death,” Briggs said. The animal was fine when it was unloaded Friday at Wildlife Safari after riding for 38 hours in a wooden crate during the trip from San Diego, Briggs said. Shortly afterwards, the rhino began to show signs of colic and was dead 45 minutes later, Briggs said.