Poachers: Zoo Rhino Killed in Its Enclosure in France, Horn Sawed Off

Poachers broke into a French zoo Monday night, shot a white rhino in the head, and sawed off its horn before escaping.

The 5-year-old rhino named Vince was found dead Tuesday morning in the African enclosure of the Thoiry Zoo near Paris. He had been shot three times in the head and his larger horn had been sawed off, zoo director Thierry Duguet said, NBC News reported.

Vince’s second horn was partially sawed off but was still intact. Two other rhinos in the same enclosure were not harmed.

Vince came to the Thoiry Zoo in 2015 and was very popular with visitors.

“It’s extremely shocking,” Duguet said, according to The Guardian. “An act of such extreme violence has never happened before in Europe.”

The poachers got away with the rhino horn, and police are investigating the crime.

Rhino horns are illegal to sell, but go for about $42,000 on the black market, NBC News reported. The horns are used in traditional Asian medicine for a variety of ailments, and are even said to be an aphrodisiac.

Twitter users were outraged that poachers would break into a zoo to kill a rhino.

#Poachers broke into Paris zoo, killed a #rhino and cut off its horn. No words. Just sadness. We are so lost. pic.twitter.com/GWaiUp5BdX

— Antonia (@blueberrygirl9) March 7, 2017

Endangered white rhino poached for its horn at Paris zoo! It appears that even in a zoo they are not safe from the ignorance of humankind! pic.twitter.com/DgXw60DTUb

— Jeff Corwin (@jeffcorwinlive) March 7, 2017

Poachers broke into a zoo & shot a #rhino in Paris for his horn
What evil scum - the world is mad

— (((Debbie Simone))) (@debbiesimone123) March 7, 2017

@GroupAnon Rhino killed in a zoo in France for its horn, surely there is a way of tracking anyone and everyone involved? i'd like to help

— Frederick Bird (@FrederickJBird) March 7, 2017

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