Rangers Kill Taunted Tusker

Tusker, a 50-year-old bull elephant, was an old  favorite at a safari park in Zimbabwe, but rangers shot him dead after he trampled several cars at a rowdy New Year's Eve party where the animal was taunted. Witnesses say that drunken partygoers teased Tusker by flashing car lights, lighting fireworks, throwing bottles and even slapping his rump, AP reports.

Rangers said the towering elephant had become a danger but others disagreed. "Despite this senseless abuse, we have had no reports of Tusker hurting anyone, which is testament to his basic good nature," said a conservationist. "It is shocking these parties where drugs and alcohol are abused are permitted in wildlife areas." (More elephant stories.)