Hippo found dead following Taiwan car crash

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A-ho, the 18-year-old hippo that jumped from a moving truck and broke a leg and tooth, was found dead in the pond where it was supposed to be recovering. Investigators are now trying to determine if any criminal charges will be filed.

Caretakers found the enormous animal at the bottom of the pond in Miaoli County. On Friday, A-ho was being transported to Sky Zoo in Taichung when it panicked and broke loose of its restraints inside a truck.

The hippo jumped from the moving truck and hit a car.

Authorities originally said the animal suffered a broken hind leg and broken tooth. A necropsy further revealed it suffered internal injuries including liver and lung damage.

Chen Bao-ji, China's council of agriculture minister, said the animal's death was a result of Sky Zoo's negligence.

"Now that the hippopotamus is dead, its keeper will face the maximum punishment stipulated in the Animal Protection Act," he said.

The sentence could include one year in prison.