In China curiosity, it seems, killed not only the cat, but also the crocodile.

Several hibernating crocodiles in a Shenzhen park were killed by curious tourists who attacked them with stones , the Shenzhen Evening News [1] reported on Thursday.

The tourists were intrigued at the sight of motionless crocodiles and thought they were dead, said a park staffer. Some threw stones and empty bottles at them. Several crocodiles were killed.

“Some tourists are very fond of throwing things at  crocodiles,” said a frustrated staffer, “they’ve thrown bottles, garbages, stones, and sticks.”

The story triggered heated discussions on Sina Weibo, [2] China’s twitter-like service, where angry netizens lashed out at the attackers.

“What is the problem with our education?” asked a netizen. "And why isn't the park stopping this?"

“I don’t want to be a crocodile in China,” said a netizen . 

Update: According to a report by Shenzhen-based Baoan Daily [3]on Friday, the park denied any crocodiles had been killed, claiming it's a false statement made by an overworked staffer.