A seven year old girl in Morocco has died after a rock thrown by an elephant hit her.
The girl was at the Rabat Zoo across from the elephant’s enclosure when the unfortunate incident happened.
The Elephant was in its enclosure, which was separated from the viewing area by a ditch and a fence, when it threw the rock. It sailed past both and hit the girl – who was with her family and getting ready to get her picture taken – in the head. She fell and started bleeding, attracting a rush of onlookers, one of whom held her as they waited for emergency services to arrive.
Eventually she was rushed to the hospital, but died soon after.
Zoo officials confirmed the incident in a statement, describing it as a ‘rare, unpredictable and unusual’ incident. Officials said it was unlikely the elephant was targeting the girl, but that stone throwing was a behaviour they exhibited when frustrated or bored.