Warning: This article contains information that some readers will find upsetting and distressing.
A disturbing incident has unfolded after a nine-year-old boy killed 11 animals during a solo trip to a petting zoo.
As reported by the Metro, the unnamed child was said to have shown "no emotion" after strangling nine rabbits and two guinea pigs to death during a visit to the Rekerhout Petting Zoo in Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
The boy had been visiting the petting zoo by himself on March 11, before he made his way over to the animals.
The manager of the establishment, Ali Dorenbos, was left disgusted by the awful scene that unfolded, telling local media: "It makes you completely sick."
Images of the attraction online show that the petting zoo homes a variety of small and family-friendly animals, such as goats, ducks, pigs, and rabbits.
Speaking to the local news outlet De Telegraaf, Dorenbos claimed that the boy showed "no emotion" after allegedly killing the animals.
She added that the petting zoo was intended to be a place for joy for visitors, before voicing her admiration for her role. "I was supposed to do this job for five years, but I never left and have now been doing it for 42 years," Dorenbos said. "Can you imagine how nice it is here? We do a lot of education and teach children how to interact with animals."
Local psychiatrist Esther van Fenema added that while she feels "sorry for the animals", she is also concerned about the child, who she said, "apparently feels so bad that he has to do this".
She also informed parents: "If you kill an animal in the house; explain to the child why. Even if it is an insect. So that it learns that you don’t wring the neck of a guinea pig, which is harmful."
Fenema added that causing harm to animals can be a "worrisome sign of a behavioral disorder in children", and called for this particular incident to be "thoroughly investigated".
"There is often an interplay of risk factors. Such as predisposition, temperament, upbringing and all kinds of things can be going on in the home situation," the psychiatrist said. "Something bad may have happened that left a child incredibly frustrated and unable to express their emotions properly.
"Someone close to him may have died. Or he could be feeling bad because of conflicts at home."
Despite the situation sparking fury on social media, local police have confirmed that the boy will not face criminal charges due to the fact that he is under 12 years old.
However, he is due to be enrolled in a care program that can provide him with the support he needs.
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