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Florida man arrested after reportedly attacking flamingo at Busch Gardens in Tampa

Posted at 8:53 AM, Aug 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-03 08:53:44-04

An Orlando man has been arrested after he reportedly attacked a flamingo at Busch Gardens in Tampa on Tuesday, August 2.

Joseph Corrao, 45, was detained by Busch Gardens' security. He was arrested by Tampa Police and is currently being held at the Orient Road Jail where he faces an aggravated cruelty to animals charge.

Police say he reached into the animal pen that holds all of the flamingoes at Busch Gardens, grabbed a flamingo and threw it onto the ground.

A witness tells ABC Action News the man picked up the flamingo from the enclosure and threw it down "in a rage." The witness immediately thought the flamingo died. Busch Gardens has confirmed that the flamingo, named "Pinky," suffered traumatic injuries.

Officials with Busch Gardens say "Pinky" was a Chilean flamingo. She was immediately transported to the park's Animal Care Center where veterinarians made the decision to humanely euthanize her based on the severity of her injuries.

Busch Gardens says "Pinky was a beloved member of the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay family and made many appearances on behalf of the park's conservation and education efforts. She will be sorely missed."