Zoo euthanizes flamingo after child injures it with rock

A zoo in Illinois euthanized a flamingo this week after a child injured it by throwing a rock into its habitat, CNN reports.

The Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington was forced to put down the wading bird on Monday due to injuries it sustained from the incident, CNN reported. The bird had reportedly suffered from a broken leg as a result of the young boy’s actions. 

{mosads}”A juvenile guest accidentally injured a flamingo on Monday by skipping a rock into the habitat,” Jay Tetzloff, who serves as the director of the city’s parks and recreation and is superintendent of the zoo, told the local Pantagraph newspaper.

“Unfortunately, staff determined the best course of action given the animal’s injuries was to euthanize the bird,” he said.

Tetzloff went on to call the incident a “truly unfortunate accident” in the interview with the local paper and said officials “are working with the juvenile’s family to move forward.”

The zoo said it hopes the incident can be a learning experience, local CBS affiliate WMBD reported.

According to the station, the zoo’s flamingo exhibit was previously home to 25 flamingos before the incident.