brutal attack on its stock of endangered Green Turtles.

And head aquarist Jennifer Gray said: "We are truly astounded by this act of cruelty and are interested in hearing from anyone who might have information regarding this incident.'' She added: "Never in the history of this exhibit have these animals been the subject of this type of public malice,'' she added.

Thugs stoned the defenceless animals with concrete and reinforcement rods.

Curator Jack Ward said: "The turtles are hearty individuals but the shells have been gouged. Somebody really threw those rocks as hard as they could.'' Ms Gray added that while the Aquarium and Zoo is confident the injuries are superficial, a few of the turtles are maimed for life.

The six turtles also had bruising and wounds to the bony skull plates on their heads.

Mr. Ward said the exhibit had been free for decades and the Aquarium liked the idea of the interaction between the public and the turtles outside opening hours.

But Mr. Ward added: "If this sort of thing is repeated then we may have to be in a position to move them.'' The horror attack happened sometime between Sunday morning and Monday afternoon. Large chunks of concrete block, stone, and reinforcement rod were lobbed into the exhibit, which is next to the bus stop outside the Flatts-based zoo.

The vandals dented the shells of six of eight turtles which although endangered elsewhere, are abundant in Bermuda.

Mr. Ward said that Bermuda is believed to have enacted the earliest act of conservation in the western hemisphere, which was designed to protect undersized Green turtles.