Jomo, the Pittsburgh Zoo's last remaining rhinoceros, dies at 30

The Pittsburgh Zoo announced the death of its 30-year-old male eastern black rhinoceros, Jomo, after he was euthanized Thursday because of his declining health. He was the zoo's last remaining rhinoceros.

Jomo, who was born in 1995 at the San Diego Zoo, was one of the four oldest male rhinoceroses in America.

In 1996, he came to Pittsburgh and sired two females, Janine in 2012 and Kesi in 2017. Janine gave birth to another male, Tamu, in 2023.

The Pittsburgh Zoo said Jomo lived considerably longer than the median age for his species, which is just over 20 years.

Over the three decades in Pittsburgh, Jomo was beloved by both guests and staff, who formed a strong bond with him, the zoo said in a release.

"I'm honored that Jomo has been a part of my life since the day he arrived," Assistant Curator of Mammals Karen Vacco said. "I will miss giving him back rubs until he fell asleep and the baby soft spot behind his ears. He will be missed by so many."

The zoo said Jomo had been suffering from several age-related conditions over recent months, and his health began to further decline over the past few weeks as he lost his appetite and became more lethargic.

Zoo staff said that, despite his declining health, Jomo remained active in his own care, allowing the veterinary team to draw blood and treat him without issue.

Ultimately, it was determined that there were no remaining options to improve Jomo's health and that humane euthanasia was the most compassionate choice.

The zoo said Jomo's care team made it a priority to give him the best final days possible.

"Jomo was one of the nicest animals in the Zoo," Vice President of Living Collections Chris Bonar said. "In fact, he was one of the nicest animals that I ever met. He will be greatly missed."

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 3:46 PM.