A crocodile at a Southeast China zoo is being treated for head injuries after a group of tourists repeatedly pelted it with stones to get the reptile to move.
Keepers at the China-Africa Wildlife Zoo in Xiamen, Fujian Province told local media the visitors had hurled rocks at "Xiaohe," their 5.8-meter-long saltwater crocodile, while taking photos on Wednesday.
However, the group left when they saw Xiaohe was bleeding from the head.
The zoo has contacted local authorities and an investigation is underway.
Saltwater crocodiles are generally considered to be the largest species in the world.
Weighing 1,250 kilograms, the 37-year-old Xiaohe can consume 25 kilograms of food a day during the summer.
However, the zoo's head veterinarian, surnamed Lu, said that Xiaohe's slowing metabolism due to the approaching winter, also known as brumation, will make his recovery more difficult.
"His wound will heal more slowly than in summer," Lu said.
