The elephant, known as Jumbo, killed the zookeeper on Wednesday
An elephant kept in Franklin Zoo, New Zealand, has trampled a zookeeper to death in its enclosure.
The tragic incident took place on Wednesday at the zoo in Tuakau when the African elephant, known as Jumbo, killed one of the zoo's female employees. The woman has not yet been named.
It is not yet known if anyone else was present at the time of the accident, so the exact cause of death and the sequence of events leading to the killing have not been established by police.
The police were called in to the zoo, where the elephant has lived for approximately four years after being retired from decades of circus performing, after the woman was found in the elephant's enclosure.
African elephants are one of the world's largest land animals and can live for around 70 years, requiring roughly 300 pounds of food a day.
Launch Slideshow
?
HIDE THUMBNAILS
1 of 18
PLAY ALL
ADVERTISEMENT
[{"entry_id":"3291541","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/ideas-for-a-weekend-away-in-belfast_n_3291541.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298060\/slide_298060_2465433_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298060\/slide_298060_2465433_small.jpg","title":"Ten Things To Do In Belfast","slideshow_id":"298060","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3285593","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/16\/david-beckham-retires-pictures_n_3285593.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/264436\/slide_264436_2458362_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/264436\/slide_264436_2458362_small.jpg","title":"David Beckhams Career in Pictures","slideshow_id":"264436","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3285854","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/16\/david-beckham-retires-what-next-for-becks_n_3285854.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297903\/slide_297903_2458894_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297903\/slide_297903_2458894_small.jpg","title":"What Next For Becks?","slideshow_id":"297903","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3296991","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/18\/north-korea-fires-missiles-sea-yonhap-_n_3296991.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/285817\/slide_285817_2209533_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/285817\/slide_285817_2209533_small.jpg","title":"Kim Jong Un Visits The Troops","slideshow_id":"285817","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3291266","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/jews-protest-idf-conscription_n_3291266.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298056\/slide_298056_2465340_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298056\/slide_298056_2465340_small.jpg","title":"Orthodox Jews Rally In Jerusalem Against Draft","slideshow_id":"298056","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3297185","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/18\/custard-pie-bakewell-jane-austen-pies-and-prejudice-_n_3297185.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/252394\/slide_252394_1560022_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/252394\/slide_252394_1560022_small.jpg","title":"World Custard Pie Championships 2012","slideshow_id":"252394","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3292643","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/prince-harry-makes-surprise-visit-chelsea-flower-show_n_3292643.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/283397\/slide_283397_2164799_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/283397\/slide_283397_2164799_small.jpg","title":"Prince Harry Visits Lesotho Feb 2013","slideshow_id":"283397","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3292852","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/women-shouldnt-wear-trousers-try-telling-this-lot_n_3292852.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298068\/slide_298068_2465599_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298068\/slide_298068_2465599_small.jpg","title":"Powerful Women Who Wear Trousers","slideshow_id":"298068","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3290995","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/pictures-of-the-week_n_3290995.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298046\/slide_298046_2465538_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298046\/slide_298046_2465538_small.jpg","title":"The Week In Photos - Vote On Your Favourite Pictures","slideshow_id":"298046","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3285491","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/16\/david-beckham-retires-looks_n_3285491.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/226668\/slide_226668_981097_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/226668\/slide_226668_981097_small.jpg","title":"David Beckham's Silliest Looks","slideshow_id":"226668","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3290689","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/quarter-of-gay-people-have-been-attacked_n_3290689.html","content_type":"quote","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/265283\/slide_265283_1795321_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/265283\/slide_265283_1795321_small.jpg","title":"LGBT Bullying","slideshow_id":"265283","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3291400","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/boa-constrictor-iguana-fatal-embrace-picture_n_3291400.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/22303\/slide_22303_2449974_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/22303\/slide_22303_2449974_small.jpg","title":"Animals In The News","slideshow_id":"22303","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3285974","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/16\/david-beckham-retires-hottest-adverts-_n_3285974.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297884\/slide_297884_2459161_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297884\/slide_297884_2459161_small.jpg","title":"David Beckham Adverts","slideshow_id":"297884","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3297236","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/18\/gay-marriage-france-hollande_n_3297236.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298241\/slide_298241_2469514_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298241\/slide_298241_2469514_small.jpg","title":"Gay Marriage Protests In France","slideshow_id":"298241","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3291118","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/17\/top-ten-bands-and-musicians-from-northern-ireland_n_3291118.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298050\/slide_298050_2465202_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298050\/slide_298050_2465202_small.jpg","title":"Northern Ireland's Best Bands And Musicians","slideshow_id":"298050","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3299005","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/18\/jessica-ennis-wedding_n_3299005.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298262\/slide_298262_2469930_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298262\/slide_298262_2469930_small.jpg","title":"Jessica Ennis Marries Andy Hill ","slideshow_id":"298262","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3298227","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/18\/rome-protest-unemployment_n_3298227.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298256\/slide_298256_2469831_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/298256\/slide_298256_2469831_small.jpg","title":"Rome Protests","slideshow_id":"298256","vertical":"uk"},{"entry_id":"3285712","entry_url":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/05\/16\/april-jones-case-mark-bridger-car_n_3285712.html","content_type":"image","image_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297906\/slide_297906_2459059_small.jpg","thumbnail_url":"gadgets\/slideshows\/297906\/slide_297906_2459059_small.jpg","title":"Mark Bridger Trial","slideshow_id":"297906","vertical":"uk"}]
An elephant kept in Franklin Zoo, New Zealand, has trampled a zookeeper to death in its enclosure.
The tragic incident took place on Wednesday at the zoo in Tuakau when the African elephant, known ...
An elephant kept in Franklin Zoo, New Zealand, has trampled a zookeeper to death in its enclosure.
The tragic incident took place on Wednesday at the zoo in Tuakau when the African elephant, known ...
BERLIN -- The Berlin Zoo says another young animal has died unexpectedly, only two weeks after celebrity polar bear Knut passed away. Spokeswoman Claudia Bienek...
Celebrated The Price is Right icon and passionate animal advocate Bob Barker told Toronto on Friday that it's time for the city's zoo elephants to pack up their trunks and journey south.
A zoo visit won't achieve the same level of impact as an African safari, but most of us, viewing elephants and other exotic animals in their ever-shrinking native habitat is not possible.
Last year, I went to Thailand, which was my husband's dream vacation. A local tour guide told us about the "Spend the Day with An Elephant" excursion. I was in.
The same thing happened with Shanti, the Indian elephant in the Berlin Zoo on whom we were allowed to ride as children. More often than not, these animals develop a disease without the keeper noticing. This stresses them out and they lash out. Keepers live with that knowledge, just like you live with the knowledge of a possible accident every time you step into a vehicle.
If you do not keep and breed them in zoos and circusses, many animals will die out. Poaching, encroaching of human housing and other human pursuits, diseases through change in the habitat, and all manner of events cause animal numbers to reduce until they are too few for a viable population. One new example is the Australian hairy nose wombat. They are now getting a liver disease from introduced grasses which cannot be removed. The Tasmanian devil needs to be bred outside of Tasmania now to breed the cancer virus out. It is rather sweet to take them all back into the wild, but even the African lion is threatened - by TB from livestock which you cannot all kill.
novelist2000: The same thing happened with Shanti, the Indian elephant in
Elephants belong in India and Africa, not penned up in zoos.
Same applies to all other wild animals.. If man wishes to conserve wild animals he must make funds available to employ competent wardens and game management regimes ton that end, not capture wild life for the urban rubbernecks to ogle.
What is wrong in funded trips to these game areas in Africa etc, so people can observe these creatures in their proper surroundings and environments.
scouse55: Elephants belong in India and Africa, not penned up in
You have to wonder about the Zoo's code of practice if a lone keeper was permitted around such a large animal with unknown past, we know if was from a circus and given that elephants are long lived and that very harsh conditioning methods were and still are in some zoos, what could have triggered this. You couldn't pay me enough to work alone with that animal.
huge shame this lady has lost her life and a huge shame the elephant was put in a position where it felt the need to express such a behaviour
LetDogsBeDogs: You have to wonder about the Zoo's code of practice
Loading comments… 
The Huffington Post UK | By Charlie Lindlar Posted: 25/04/2012 10:36 Updated: 25/04/2012 10:36