Kid's Rock-Throwing Leads to Zoo Flamingo's Death

A young guest at an Illinois zoo apparently didn't mean any harm, but what a Bloomington city official is calling a "truly unfortunate accident" has resulted in one of the center's flamingos being put down. The Pantagraph reports the bird was hit by a rock that the youngster apparently skipped straight into the flamingo habitat at Miller Park Zoo, breaking the flamingo's leg. "Staff determined the best course of action given the animal's injuries was to euthanize the bird," the city's parks and rec chief says.

CNN notes that greater flamingos like the one that was injured typically live an average of 30 years, though some can make it to 60. The greater flamingo exhibit at the zoo, which featured 25 flamingos before the one got hurt, opened in 2016. The zoo is said to be in communication with the child's family to turn the incident into a "learning experience," per CentralIllinoisProud.com. (More flamingos stories.)