A gang of three primary school children beat a flamingo to death and injured another badly after pelting them with rocks in a “brutal attack” at a Czech zoo.
The boys, aged five, six and eight, attacked a flock of American flamingos at Jihlava Zoo in the town of Jihlava last Friday.
They are said to have scaled a fence to reach the birds before launching a total of 30 stones at the birds in the enclosure.
Elizabeth Kubikova, the zoo's director, said: "I was appalled by the brutal attack.”
Two of the flamingos were being kicked when a staff member interrupted.
One of the birds died and the other sustained serious injuries.
The dead bird, a father to eight babies, was a survivor of flooding that happened at Prague Zoo in 2002.
He was 16-years-old. The average lifespan for a flamingo is between 20 and 30 years.
The three boys fled the scene, but CCTV footage allowed police to trace them.
They expressed no regret for what they had done, Martin Malac, the zoo’s spokesman told local media.
Officers even reportedly called in state police because the boys refused to talk to municipal police.
The motive for the attack was unclear.
