Peacocks die from shock after being picked up for photos, feathers plucked

The incident happened on February 12 at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park, in Kunming, China, which is home to nearly 6,800 peacocks. In an area where visitors are allowed to feed the animals, a couple of tourists decided to grab the birds and take photos with them. Worse, they even plucked out their feathers. Shanghaist reports the photos have outraged Internet users in China, with some calling for extreme punishment.

According to Mashable’s report, one bird died within 30 minutes of being grabbed, despite zookeepers rushing to the birds’ aid after noticing their treatment at the hands of the tourists. The official cause of death is still under investigation, but authorities believe they died due to shock. A zoo representative said this was the first time an incident of this nature had occurred, and that visitors are advised to never touch the animals. He said that although the birds don’t approach people, the tourists lured them with food and grabbed them by their long tails.