A zoo in eastern Germany is mourning the death of an earless rabbit that was accidentally squashed by a television cameraman this week.

Zoo director Uwe Dempewolf told Spiegel Online that staff members are in shock over the death of Til, who was born in late February.

Til died Wednesday, the day before the zoo planned to introduce him to the press. The cameraman was there to gather advance footage of the rabbit.

“During the filming, the cameraman took a step back and trod on the bunny,” Dempewolf said in an interview on Wednesday afternoon.

"He was immediately dead; he didn't suffer. It was a direct hit. No one could have foreseen this. Everyone here is upset. The cameraman was distraught."

The cameraman told Germany’s Bild newspaper that the bunny had buried himself in hay when the incident happened.

With files from The Associated Press