Tourists stoned crocodile to death in a Tunisian zoo.

A crocodile at a Tunisian zoo was stoned to death by a group of tourists, authorities in the capital said Wednesday, denouncing the "savage" act.

The municipality of Tunis posted gory pictures on Facebook of the dead animal's head next to what appeared to be a bloodied paving slab and another large rock.

"A group of visitors to the zoo threw stones at the head of a crocodile, causing internal haemorrhage that killed it," it said.

The municipality said the act at the Belvedere Zoo in central Tunis was "savage behaviour".

The animal died after being hit on the head by two large rocks late Tuesday afternoon, Amor Ennaifer, a vet at the zoo said.

"It's terrible. You cannot imagine what animals endure from some visitors," he said.