More information was released Friday about the death of a Dickerson Park zookeeper who was killed by an elephant. The incident occurred just days after zoo officials had a 50-year-old elephant put down, according to this KOLR report:
ZooMontana Executive Director Jeff Ewelt works with large animals on a regular basis.
He said elephant deaths at zoos are rare, but they do happen even with protection in place for the zoo keepers.
"Elephant deaths with protective contact in place are really rare in North American zoos. To hear of a death with protective contact is shocking," he said.
"Any time you work with large animals in these settings it's certainly a risk we all understand in the business," Ewelt said.
Last week the 50-year-old matriarch elephant Pinky at Dickerson Park Zoo was put down.
Ewelt said the loss of another elephant could have caused 41-year-old Patience to act out.
"That certainly could have had an impact on the social structure of those elephants at the park and that could cause some aggression," he said.
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