Nature & Environment

Zoo Elephant Kills A Girl By Throwing A Rock

Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Jul 30, 2016 04:10 AM EDT

A 7-year-old girl visiting the Zoological Garden of Rabat in Morocco was killed after she was hit by a rock thrown by an elephant. The school girl was smacked in the head and died hours later.


A veterinarian said that the behavior of the female elephant was "abnormal" and needs to be understood, as noted by NBC News. The zoo personnel was in shock three days later at what they called an "unforeseeable accident."

The girl was with her family visiting the Rabat zoo on Tuesday. She was admiring then the elephants when one of them picked up a stone. The elephant threw it more than 10 yards over a ditch and a wooden barrier toward the visitors. Unfortunately, the girl was hit by the rock thrown by an elephant.

According to CNN, the zoo managers have given their condolences to the girl's family. They also stated that the zoo meets the required international safety standards. The zoo personnel said that the behavior of any animal is very complex and wild animals are unpredictable. They further said that they were all surprised and they don't yet understand.

Salma Slimani, who is in charge of zoo administration, said that they are very sad at what happened. She further said that it would be wrong to blame the elephant and that it was not premeditated. The Rabat Zoo is one of the biggest zoos in Morocco with many animals.

 

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