Flamingo euthanized after child injures it throwing rock into zoo exhibit
A flamingo at an Illinois zoo was euthanized after a child threw a rock into its exhibit and injured the bird, zoo officials say.
The bird was euthanized Monday at Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois, in what zoo Director Jay Tetzloff called "a truly unfortunate accident."
"A juvenile guest accidentally injured a flamingo on Monday by skipping a rock into the habitat," Tetzloff said in a statement. "Unfortunately, staff determined the best course of action given the animal's injuries was to euthanize the bird."
According to the Pantagraph, the child broke the flamingo's leg when the rock was thrown.
The newspaper reported that the flamingo exhibit, which opened in June 2016 and housed 25 birds before the incident, is located near the entrance of the zoo.
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"We are working with the juvenile's family to move forward," Tetzloff added.
Greater flamingos live in parts of Africa and Asia in the wild and have wingspans up to 5 feet.
They are not considered endangered and their populations are increasing, according to National Geographic.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Flamingo euthanized after child injures it throwing rock into zoo exhibit
