Staff at a French zoo condemned Wednesday the "stupidity" of visitors who scratched their names into the back of a rhino.
A photograph of the 35-year-old female rhinoceros with the words "Camille" and "Julien" on its back has been widely shared on social media, triggering an outcry.
La Palmyre zoo in Royan in southwestern France said in a statement it was "outraged by the stupidity and disrespect" of the visitors but would not be taking legal action.
Animal lovers can touch the creatures when they approach the fence of their enclosure, it said, a "moving" experience which allows visitors to appreciate "the diversity and beauty of nature".
Three of the five species of rhino are critically endangered, largely due to the lucrative poaching trade.
Zoo director Pierre Caille said the visitors used their nails to scratch their names into a layer of dust, sand and dead skin on the animal's back.
"The animal may not even have realised," he told AFP. "We quickly brushed the writing away and there was no harm to the animal".
While the zoo said "the vast majority" of visitors touch the rhino "respectfully", French wildlife protection charity Le Biome said it "fell short of standards" for allowing "this type of interaction".
Caille said La Palmyre would consider installing video surveillance in certain areas, but "doesn't want cameras everywhere".
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
6 Rhinos Among 137 Animals Dead In Kaziranga National Park Amid Assam Floods Watch: Critically Endangered Javan Rhino Calf Spotted In Indonesia Poachers Involved In Assam Rhino's Killing Arrested, Horn Recovered At Olympics Opening Ceremony, Drag Parody Of 'The Last Supper' Draws Flak Centre Fact-Checks Mamata Banerjee's Mic-Off Claim, She Hits Back Why Was Woman In Bengaluru Hostel Murdered? What Initial Probe Reveals 5 Children Among 8 Killed After Car Falls Into Gorge In J&K's Anantnag Rape accused, Missing For 5 Months, Arrested In J&K's Ramban: Police "Goa Would Have Collapsed Had The Congress Rule Continued": Kiren Rijiju Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.