Boone’s toes are way too big for a keyboard — but the black rhino has nonetheless become a Twitter sensation.

The San Francisco Zoo’s most popular herbivore has amassed more than 1,200 followers on his account, @boonetherhino, for his tweets about Mondays, philosophy, current events and the rocks in his enclosure. What started as a ploy to crowdfund the rhino’s new $15,000 Foobler — essentially a huge version of the dog toy — has morphed into an account with a cult following.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that he’s picked up this many followers,” said Bethany Krebs, a zoo wellness researcher and the brains behind Boone’s tweets. “Even though you know it’s a human at the other end, I think it’s fun for people to connect with Boone. It’s a good outlet to do informal outreach and teach people about rhinos, especially since poaching is a problem.”

Boone isn’t the only animal in cyberspace. Zoos around the nation are using Twitter to engage people beyond or in lieu of a visit. The Cincinnati Zoo’s lion posts photos with his cubs, the Oakland Zoo’s six lemurs chronicle their high jinks, and the Bronx Zoo’s Egyptian cobra reflects on pop culture.

Useful outreach tool

They are part of a unique cohort of tweeters — without opposable thumbs — who use social media as a platform to educate users. And the research proves that it’s working.

A study conducted at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago from July 2010 through October 2011 showed that animal tweets generate more excitement and interest in scientific tools and methods, and in animal issues among followers. Researchers measured how often the animals were retweeted in comparison with informational zoo messages. It was substantially more, they discovered.

“We tended to have quite the following,” said Cynthia Hood, a computer science professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago who helped conduct the study. “Even though people know it’s not the actual animal, they feel like they’re making a connection. It feels personal and real.”

That connection helps engage and inform people about world issues, like rhino poaching, one of Boone’s key issues. The tweets, which foster a relationship between the animal and the person, also help draw more visitors to the zoo.

“People want to hear directly from the animals,” said Jason Watters, the vice president of wellness and animal behavior at the San Francisco Zoo. “Most zoos have a mission of trying to educate and empower people to take conservation action and play a positive role in the survival of the planet. Boone’s a little goofy and awkward and perfectly helps us do that.”

Boone, a 7-year-old black rhino born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, moved to San Francisco three years ago. His plucky, GIF-filled messages are modeled after Doug, the oblivious dog from Pixar’s movie “Up,” and Jackie French’s children’s book “Diary of a Wombat.”

In one tweet, he bemoans mornings, saying, “I like you, sun, but why do you have to be such a morning person? Some of us are still sleepy, come back later!” In another, a close-up photo of his horn is captioned, “Whoopsie, got a little overzealous with the zoom on this one.”

Learning to love rhinos

It’s Boone’s “personality” that draws people to him — even though he’s not traditionally cute — said Alyssa Lynne, who runs a Twitter account for Bao Bao, a panda at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in her free time. The two animals frequently interact on Twitter and consider themselves best friends.

“I never really thought of rhinos as being super cute,” Lynne said. “I love animals, but if you were to ask me what my favorite one was, rhino would not come to mind first. But now I care about what is happening with rhinos more than I ever have before because my friend Boone is one of them.”

Boone’s fan base stretches across the country. One of his biggest admirers — and most generous donors for his crowdfunding campaign — is from the East Coast. Cecily Keating, a consultant in New York City, said she considers the rhino a friend and checks his feed several times a day.

“People think I’m nuts when I talk about my rhino friend,” she said, laughing. “Boone’s Twitter is so great at explaining himself and rhinos, and his personality is funny as heck. You just become fond of this little — well, big — creature. I know it makes me sound like a goofball, but it’s true.”

Boone declined to comment on his newfound celebrity. On a recent afternoon at the San Francisco Zoo, he sleepily blinked and walked slowly around his enclosure. The fame didn’t seem to be inflating his ego.

“We have loved seeing this online community grow,” Watters said. “It’s really cool to see people taking steps to spread the message about rhinos and Boone.”

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @lizziejohnsonnn