Gustavito, ippopotamo di 15 anni, era il simbolo dello zoo di San Salvador, settimana scorsa ignoti si sono introdotti nella sua vasca uccidendo l’animale con mazze e coltelli.
After two days of agony, Gustavito passed away. His sufferance has come to an end and he will no longer have to endure enclosure and violence in a zoo. Gustavito was a 15-year-old hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) that lived in San Salvador zoo, San Salvador, since he was 2.
Gustavito was victim of an attack on Tuesday night and died of the severe injuries. Some strangers allegedly broke into the fenced pool where the hippo lived and beat him with metal bars, knives and rocks.
The attack, as brutal as vile, wasn’t discovered before Thursday, as Gustavito didn’t leave his pool and didn’t allow zookeepers to see the injuries on his body. “He had bruises and puncture wounds and a 15-centrimetre cut,” said zoo director Vladan Henriquez who also announced a temporary closure of the zoo. “We don’t understand why those people cowardly killed him”.
Whoever did this has to pay. My heart goes out to you and your keepers; may you rest in peace. #Gustavito #ElSalvador pic.twitter.com/h4SiVwasCk
— Gigi Perla (@gigiips22) February 27, 2017
The news of Gustavito’s death has soon outraged the Central American nation. Gustavito was the only hippopotamus in the country and was much-loved by all visitors and zoo keepers, El Salvador is sadly used to violence, being one of the countries with the highest number of killings. Yet, the senseless murder of an animal got many people disheartened. The hashtag #TodosSomosGustavito went viral on social networks and many locals left flowers at the zoo. Minister of Justice Mauricio Ramirez Landaverde said an investigation has been opened into the attack.
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