Mary Bowerman

USA TODAY Network

A beloved hippopotamus named Gustavito died at El Salvador’s National Zoo Sunday from injuries sustained in a violent attack last week.

Police are currently searching for those responsible for entering Gustavito’s enclosure and beating him with blunt and sharp objects, CNN reported.

Zoo officials noticed on Thursday that Gustavito was acting strangely and would not come out of the water in his enclosure or eat.

Zoo director Vladan Henriquez said officials found bruises, puncture wounds, and lacerations on the hippo’s entire body.

Henriquez said at a news conference that Gustavito sustained injuries to his feet and cheek while he was likely trying to defend himself. He said the wounds might have been from an ice pick.

"There were injuries inside his mouth," Henríquez said.

Despite the zoo’s best efforts, the 15-year-old hippo died on Sunday. Authorities are currently investigating the incident, BBC reported.

On social media, many used the hashtag #Gustavito to mourn the hippo’s passing and call for justice.

According to 2016 data from the World Bank, El Salvador has the highest homicide rate for any country in nearly 20 years, with many of the murders being carried out by gangs.

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