Tunis zoo to close temporarily after visitors stone crocodile

Belvedere Zoo has long faced problems with litter and visitors' behaviour

A zoo in the Tunisian capital is to close temporarily after visitors stoned a crocodile to death.

The Belvedere Zoo posted pictures of the bloodied reptile, with a paving stone and rock next to its head, on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

It died from an internal haemorrhage, the Tunis municipality said.

More guards and environmental police will be employed at the site after "emergency cleaning and maintenance works", the environment ministry said.

Measures would be introduced to manage visitors entering and exiting, it said.

The zoo has long faced problems with litter and visitors' behaviour, and been criticised over the condition of animals.

"It's terrible. You cannot imagine what animals endure from some visitors," Amor Ennaifer, a vet at the zoo, told AFP news agency.

"Citizens leave waste and plastic bags. They throw stones at lions and hippos."