Holding his 3-year-old son, Colton Matthews leaned toward Hogle Zoo keeper Jason Sorstokke to go through a round of questioning that has recently become familiar to zoo staff: What is on the rhino’s face?
The gray mask, outlined with pink trim, stood out among the earthy neutrals of the exhibit, where its two senior inhabitants — a brother and sister pair of endangered white rhinos, both dusty gray — could blend into the background if they stood still long enough.
Sorstokke delivered the spiel: Princess has bad eye allergies, either related to dust or flies or both, and the mask keeps them away.