Kangaroo dies after zoo visitors throw rocks to make it hop

Animal is now being stuffed and put on display

Kangaroos (Getty)

A kangaroo has died in a zoo after visitors threw rocks at in an attempt to make the animal hop.

Onlookers repeatedly pelted the creature at Fuzhou Zoo in China’s Fujian province.

Another kangaroo was injured during a second incident days later, according to the country's state-run China Central Television (CCTV).

A vet said the 12-year-old female died from a ruptured kidney after being hit. Staff had initially only treated her for an injured foot after failing to realise she was bleeding internally.

In the second incident, a five-year-old male suffered minor injuries after being struck by a concrete chunk.

Both kangaroos had been asleep when the attacks started.

Now, authorities say they will stuff the dead animal and display it with a warning to deter similar incidents in the future. Security cameras will be redirected to point not just at the animals but at visitors too.

It has not been reported whether anyone has been charged over either incident, which occurred in February.