El Salvador has been left in shock after the brutal death of its cherished hippopotamus Gustavito at the country's national zoo.
The hippo was apparently attacked with metal bars, knives and rocks last Tuesday. However, his keepers didn't discover the bruises and open puncture wounds until several days later as Gustavito had refused to come out of his pool.
Despite treatment, the 15-year-old hippo died on Sunday. An investigation has officially been launched into the incident.
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Mourners took to social media to express their sadness, while flowers were left at the gate of the zoo, which remains closed until further notice.
"We're used to seeing the dead every day," said a street vendor in the capital San Salvador. "They kill us like flies, but this tops it all. They killed an animal that only entertained us."
Culture minister Silvia Regalado said she "deeply and profoundly" regretted the situation, while the head of El Salvador's Zoological Foundation, Mauricio Velasquez, said: "We find it difficult to believe that someone is capable of doing that to a defenceless animal."
El Salvador recorded 5,278 homicides last year, with an average of 14 killings a day due to powerful street gangs.
"The country is one of the most violent on the planet, but the brutal killing has shocked a population numbed by years of gang violence," says Sky News.
Gustavito was born and raised in Guatemala, before he came to El Salvador 13 years ago, says The Independent.
