Devastated staff at Auckland Zoo say an attack on one of its 18 flamingos was cruel and senseless.
The bird, 18-month-old breeding female Madiba, had to be destroyed yesterday after a zoo visitor threw rocks at it, shattering her left leg and breaking her right leg.
A complaint has been laid with
the police.
Zoo director Stephen Standley said there was no other choice but to destroy the bird.
"A flamingo's legs are its lifeline so there is no way it could survive," he said.
"It is inconceivable that someone would do such a cruel and senseless thing."
Mr Standley said the flock of greater flamingos was brought to the Auckland Zoo last year from England after five years of planning.
Madiba was the first of the flamingos to hatch in England in front of the zoo's exotic birds team leader, Michael Batty.
Mr Batty spent three months in England overseeing their incubation, hatching the birds and their early rearing before bringing them to New Zealand in July last year.
Mr Batty said the bird was hurt within 30 minutes of the zoo opening at 9.30am yesterday.
"The legs were at every angle they shouldn't have been. Both legs were completely shattered."
He said three large rocks were found near the injured bird and it was lucky other birds were not hit.
"Every day is a joy to go and see them and to see a bird down like that ... I cried twice yesterday."
Mr Batty said he went around the zoo looking for the person who threw the rocks at a "beautiful and graceful bird".
"I wouldn't have been working for Auckland City any more (if he had found them) and I don't think anyone would have blamed me."
Mr Batty said flamingos were flock birds but each bird developed its own personality traits and the rest of the flock would have known Madiba was badly hurt.
The zoo has the only flock of greater flamingos in Australasia.
- NZPA
