In the past, there have been several instances in India where a wild animal accidentally strayed into a human zone, and was caught and bludgeoned to death.
But can you expect something like this to happen in a zoo? It did happen in Tunisia (Africa).
Visitors to a zoo in Tunis stoned a crocodile to death Tuesday, AFP reports. Tunisian officials are decrying the “savage behavior” and officials even posted photos of the dead crocodile on Facebook (Warning: graphic).
The crocodile died from internal hemorrhaging after being hit by the two rocks.
“You cannot imagine what animals endure from some visitors,” says a veterinarian at Belvedere Zoo in Tunis. Visitors get a sense of superiority by throwing rocks at bigger animals, such as hippos and lions. And the problem (of visitors harassing the animals) gets worse during school holidays.
Making people aware and sensitive towards animals is the only way out, because its not practical to have a guard outside every enclosure.
In another such instance, a hippo was attacked by zoo guests in El Salvador. The hippo, named Gustavito, had been at the San Salvador Zoo for 12 years. It refused to eat following the attack and eventually succumbed to its injuries.
