Poachers forced their way into a French zoo and killed a southern white rhinoceros named Vince, sawing off one of his horns before fleeing into the night.
The Thoiry Zoo said police are investigating the killing of the 4-year-old animal. The poachers remain at large.
“It is extremely shocking what just happened,” zoo director Thierry Duguet told France’s 20 Minutes newspaper. “An act of such violence, never before seen in Europe.”
Read the full article at NPR!
Another sad day for nature lovers:
The Oregon Zoo announced on Facebook Thursday morning that they had to put down one of their elephants, Packy.
“With great sadness, we said goodbye to Packy this morning. Packy, the oldest male Asian elephant in North America, was humanely euthanized at the zoo after animal-care staff determined his quality of life and the safety of the herd was compromised by his illness,” the statement said. “Packy was a beloved animal and dear friend to our staff and volunteers, members, and community. This is a tremendous loss for all of us.”
R.I.P. Packy.
Sad story today:
A 17-year-old gorilla was shot dead Saturday by a Cincinnati Zoo employee who feared the animal would harm a child who had climbed into its enclosure, according to officials.
The 4-year-old boy climbed under a railing and through wires and fell about 10 feet into the enclosure at about 4 p.m., said Cincinnati Zoo director Thayne Maynard.
First responders “witnessed a gorilla who was violently dragging and throwing the child,” Cincinnati Fire Department Chief Marc Monahan wrote in a statement.
Read the full article at NBC News!
An interesting photo courtesy of Wimp.com:
“Here’s a much better way to build a zoo. It’s in the Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. We love it.”
