Veterinarians at Busch Gardens had to euthanize “Pinky” the dancing flamingo after a man grabbed her from an animal viewing area and threw her to the ground in front of his children.
According to a police report, 45-year-old Joseph Anthony Corrao of Orlando was visiting the theme park with his mother and his three teenagers on Tuesday when he reached into a pen in the Jambo Junction area, picked up a flamingo and set it down.
Police say his mother told him to leave the birds alone after he picked up another one. And that’s when he threw Pinky down so hard that its foot was nearly severed, the police report said.
Police spokesman Stephen Hegarty said Corrao handled the bird “violently.”
Park security officers detained him until his arrest by Tampa police.
Busch Gardens said the bird suffered “traumatic” injuries and could not be saved.
“A very sad and hard day for us here,” said a park spokeswoman, Karen Varga-Sinka.
Judge John Conrad had strong words for Corrao in court on Wednesday.
“It actually borders on depraved,” the judge said. “Mr. Corrao, I don’t know if you have other issues. I don’t know who does that, I really don’t. I don’t relate to that on any level.”
Corrao served three years in prison in Florida after being convicted of aggravated assault on a person 65 years or older, felony DUI, and fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
The judge ordered him held in the Hillsborough County Jail on a $5,000 bond on a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals. Jail records did not list a defense attorney.
Pinky was 19, a Chilean flamingo hatched at the park in 1996. The attraction has 20 flamingoes, a mix of Chilean and Caribbean, but Pinky’s moves made her a star.
“Pinky loved to dance for our guests,” said Varga-Sinka. “Her keepers say that this is not a trained behavior, but a natural behavior she loved to show off. Flamingos are filter feeders, using their beaks to strain tasty morsels out of the water around them as they wade. To stir up the tastiest treats, flamingos will stamp their webbed feet. Pinky often performed this toe-tapping behavior out of the water for guests.”
Pinky also appeared on behalf of the park’s conservation and education efforts as an “ambassador animal.”
“She will be sorely missed,” said Varga-Sinka.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
There are some really sick and deranged individuals running around and breeding.
!!! Too has a sick people!!!!!!!
Zinka … Huh ?
feed the bastard to the Killer Whales at Sea World
What is really bad is that this person has kids. Could this be he result of the welfare system?
So many disgusting individuals among us. Prison for life for anyone doing harm to
another human being or an animal. People are corrupt and nasty. Alcatraz needs to
be reopened. The sharks are waiting.
Dawn … Are you vegan ?
Forget prisons, start using a rope being pulled by a dragster. Followed up with a meat wagon.
So so sad some people are so stupid.
MUST HAVE A MENTAL PROBLEM.SHOULD BE LOCKED UP BEFOFE HE KILLS SOME ONE.
THIS POOR SOUL WAS A PRODUCT OF HIS FORMER ENVIROMENT. HOW COULD ANYBODY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS POOR MISGUIDED SOUL. YOU THRU HIM IN PRISON, TAUGHT HIM NOTHING BUT HOW TO BE A BAD ASS. GAVE HIM NO TRADE NO JOB. MAKE HIM GO BACK INTO THE SAME PLACE THAT TAUGHT HIM BAD HABITS. THANK OBUMBA FOR ALL OF IT. THE COPS CATCHEM THE COURT SENTENCES THEM AND OUR FEARLESS LEADER TURNS THEM LOOSE.. AFTER HE IS TAUGHT BY THE VERY BEST TO BE A CRIMINAL.THIS IS THE COMMIE WAY, TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE UPSET SO THEY WILL RIOT AND DEMONSTRATE, BUT THEY ARE NOT MOVING FOWARD. ITS THE SAME OLD SAME OLD, KEEP THEM UNEDUCATED AN UNDER INFORMED. AND THATS THE WAY IT WORKS.
Proven fact; ‘People’, who do harm to animals, will do the same to human beings. He proved the reverse is also true by his prior actions.
Why do you think he dit it? The article sounds like he wasn’t trying to purposely hurt the animal. He’s more of a jerk than a sociopath.
Maybe the fat assed jerk should receive the same temper tampering treatment he inflicted on the bird. Idiots like this just shows us how nasty some people are and why they need to be locked away from the public or they will eventually hurt or worse yet kill. I don’t pity for this animal I feel nothing but disgust for anyone who hurts a defenseless creature especially one that has entertained our youth.