Two peacocks have died at a zoo in southwest China after tourists picked them up for selfies. A spokesperson for the Yunnan Wild Animal Park confirmed the incident, and maintained that they had never had this problem before.
Peacocks normally keep their distance from humans, but the visitors managed to lure them over with food. Although the zoo forbids its guests from touching the birds, they grabbed them by their tails to take pictures with them.
The tourists did not only grab the birds for selfies but also began to pluck out their feathers. Although they were quickly stopped, the damage had already been done: a five-year-old male died of fright just half an hour after being picked up.
This comes just days after a rare dolphin died in Argentina when it was taken out of the ocean and used for selfies. The La Plata dolphin — which is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species — was passed around and then left on the beach, eventually dying of overheating.
Both incidents sparked international outrage, with many calling for the punishment of those responsible. As of yet, Yunnan Wild Animal Park has not confirmed whether it will press charges against those who caused the deaths of the peacocks.
[Image via Mashable]
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