14 DAY TRIAL // A few days ago, the staff at a Chinese zoo (i.e. the Rural Grand View Garden in Shenzhen) woke up to find that several of the crocodiles living in captivity at this facility were dead. More precisely: out of a total of eleven such animals, the zoo now only has two left.
Despite the fact that the zoo's management team refused to make any official statements concerning what caused the death of these nine crocodiles, it looks like the animals had been stoned to death by tourists.
The Global Post reports that the crocodiles' enclosure was filled with both trash and stones, and that police officers suspect that both the garbage and the rocks served as projectiles for the tourists who came to visit this zoo.
It is quite likely that the people who abused this animals only did so because they did not find them entertaining enough, and hoped that stoning them would make them become angry and act out.
As zoo keepers explain, the crocodiles at the Rural Grand View Garden hibernate during this time of the year, which is why those who expect them to be animated are bound to be disappointed.
Tree Hugger says that, following the death of these nine crocodiles, zookeepers were left with no choice except come clean about how several of the tourists who visit this facility display aggressive behaviors directed at animals.
They claim that, despite their best efforts to discourage such abusive manifestations, they cannot keep an eye on tourists at all times and that this can translate into incidents such as this one.
“It is hard to keep an eye on every visitor all the time,” a spokesperson for this zoo supposedly said.
Interestingly enough, it was not very long ago when another group of visitors to a Chinese zoo sparked quite a controversy following their decision to throw snowballs at some lions which were merely minding their own business.