This makes me sick and angry, but don't shoot me

[LINK] His name was Tusker and he was 50 years old. He was at a New Year's party, maybe he shouldn't have been there, but it was where he lived, and was too ill to be moved somewhere else. He was used to people and was well-loved, but after being taunted and abused at the party, having fireworks and bottles thrown at him, being slapped, having his hair pulled out, he was provoked into trashing some cars and stomping on bottles. No people were hurt.

Nevertheless, less than a week later, Tusker was executed... shot by rangers who thought he was a problem anyway, and this must have been his last straw. Johnny Rodrigues, head of the independent Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force did not agree with them, but what's done is done.

Rodrigues said that the elephant was provoked into trashing cars by some of the hundreds of young people at a New Year's party, and that no one was hurt.

"Despite this senseless abuse, we have had no reports of Tusker hurting anyone, which is testament to his basic good nature," Rodrigues said. "It is shocking these parties where drugs and alcohol are abused should be permitted in wildlife areas."

Music from powerful speakers at the party could be heard for miles across the bush, he said.

Witnesses told The Associated Press the elephant stomped on beer and soda bottles and attempted to eat broken glass. They reported drunken party goers taunting the elephant by throwing bottles, lighting fireworks, flashing car lights, hooting and even plucking hairs from the animal's tail and slapping its rump.