A rosy pelican has died following a break-in at Artis zoo in Amsterdam, in which thieves stole 10 out of 14 eggs being hatched in the pelican enclosure.

The bird is thought to have sustained an injury to its leg when the thieves broke in on Sunday night. It later died of its injuries.

Surveillance cameras at Artis did not register the theft but in the last few weeks several people have been arrested and fined for breaking into the zoo after hours.

‘The perpetrators clearly have no idea at all about the effect of their actions on the animals. It just shows how important the role of Artis is,’ zoo director Haig Balian said in a statement.

Meanwhile people have been venting their anger on the social media. ‘Perhaps Artis should let some of the big cats prowl the zoo at night’, one commenter suggested.