Recent Examples of Dangerous Incidents with Captive Elephants
July 20, 2006 A 36-year-old woman in Tennessee was attacked and killed at a preserve for aging elephants. Also, a man who handles the 22 Asian and African elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary was injured and hospitalized . The aggressor was Winkie, a 40-year-old female Asian elephant who has been at the sanctuary for six years and who has a history of attacking humans who worked with her.(By Leon Alligood, USA TODAY )
March 16, 2006 San Juan, PR USDA opens 4th investigation into Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus following incident in which 2 elephants run amok inside San Juan arena. Elephants reportedly sustain injuries after being chased under arena's bleachers. Angelica, 1 elephant in incident, is same elephant videotaped being chained and beaten by bullhook, incident for which Ringling is also under investigation.
March 5, 2006/Marlborough, Massachusetts: An Asian elephant named Minnie with the Commerford Petting Zoo injured two employees while giving rides at the Best Western Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. As children were being loaded onto her back, she became agitated and suddenly swung her head toward the two employees, shifting her weight and pinning them against the loading ramp. An eyewitness reported that one of the employees had provoked the elephant by striking her in the face. One man sustained a chest injuryand the other a broken arm. Both were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Two bystanders sustained bruises. Minnie has been involved in at least three previous dangerous incidents.
August 25, 2005 Mt. Pleasant Township, PA Woman suffers sprained wrist and possibly torn ligaments when Asian elephant on exhibit at Westmoreland Fair grabs her wrist with her trunk after woman reaches to pet 8,200-pound pachyderm. Jewel is 1 of 2 elephants owned by Cole Bros. Circus and leased to Wambold’s Circus Menagerie, Florida-based act that travels country with several exotic animals. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, News-Journal Corporation)
April 13, 2005 Polk City, FL Tova, 36-year-old female Asian elephant, kicks her elephant trainer at Ringling Bros. Circus’s elephant breeding facility. Man is airlifted to hospital and suffers fractured pelvis and soft tissue wound. Tova is disciplined with temporary isolation from her peers. Bruce Read, vice president of animal stewardship for center, says, “This is normal elephant behavior.” (The Ledger)
January 31, 2005 Fort Wayne, IN Elephant fatally tramples her trainer while being loaded into truck. Trainer dies after being taken to hospital with critical chest injuries. Elephant, owned by Tarzan Zerbini Circus, is hired to perform in Fort Wayne Mizpah Shrine Temple’s annual circus at time of trampling. In similar incident, another employee of same circus is injured in 1995 when elephant knocks him to ground and stomps on his abdomen. (Associated Press)
August 29, 2004/El Paso, Texas: An elephant with the George Carden Circus attacked an arena worker following a performance at the El Maida Shrine Circus. The elephant knocked the man down, threw him into a wall, and pinned him against a fence. He sustained a dislocated shoulder, a torn rotator cuff, and nerve injury, which required surgery for repair and reconstruction and resulted in more than $15,000 in medical bills.
June 1, 2004/Vallejo, California: A veteran elephant trainer at Six Flags Marine World was gored and critically injured as he stood next to a 7,000-pound African elephant named Misha (see June 22, 2001, and April 10, 1990). The elephant knocked him down with her trunk and ran her tusk into the trainer’s back, penetrating all the waythrough his abdomen.
July 18, 2003/Indianapolis, Indiana: An African elephant named Ivory attacked a trainer at the Indianapolis Zoo, causing a leg injury that required surgery. Ivory was agitated when she heard her 3-year-old calf cry out. The zoo,which uses circus-style training, had removed the calf for training.
March 2, 2003/Muskegon, Michigan: A 9,000-pound African elephant performing with Jordan World Circus at the Shrine Circus escaped from a tent shortly before a performance and was recaptured 15 minutes later in a busy downtown area.
March 13, 2002 Easley, SC Tonya, elephant belonging to Robert Childress and used in various circuses, escapes control of her handlers while she is loaded into trailer, flees into nearby woods, and is recaptured with assistance of police. This is 4th time that Tonya has run amok (see 06/21/00, 02/16/98, and 08/28/97). (Associated Press)
June 19, 2002 Menomonie, WI Tory and Mary, 2 elephants performing with Shrine Circus, bolt out of circus tent during show, scattering crowds. Mary hikes 2 miles through town and is recaptured at University of Wisconsin-Stout campus when trucks block her route. 1 child is injured, and elephants damage door at park and cause $600 in damage to city truck. Shriners had contracted with George Carden Circus for event. (Associated Press)
November 19, 2002 Pittsburgh, PA A 20-year-old elephant knocked down and pinned handler Michael Gatti to the ground with its head, at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Professional elephant handlers at zoos a cross the country expressed shock and sorrow over Gatti's death. "It's a close-knit community and a close-knit group," said Don Winstel, assistant director of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio and a former elephant handler. Elephants put Winstel in the hospital twice during his career. Jane Ballantine, spokeswoman for the American Zoo & Aquarium Association, describes elephant handler as "an extremely dangerous job." (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
October 27, 2001 Charlotte, NC 2 elephants leased by Hawthorn Corporation to Circus Vazquez rampage through church. 2 church members are nearly trampled, and children are quickly ushered to safety. Elephants crash into church through glass window, break and buckle walls and door frames, and knock car 15 feet, causing estimated $75,000 in damages. Elephants suffer cuts and bruises. 1 elephant had rampaged twice before (see 07/10/95 and 05/19/95) (Charlotte Observer and Associated Press)
June 21, 2000 Washington, PA Young elephant with Circus Hope, apparently disturbed by several children playing toy horns, walks away from her trainers in parking lot of shopping center. Through combined efforts of trainers, police, and security patrol, animal is quieted and led back to her tent. (Observer-Reporter)
April 20, 2000 Yucca Valley, CA Elephant with Culpepper and Merriweather Circus breaks loose following performance, steps on circus ticket-taker and wanders down local street before being captured by circus handlers. Ticket-taker suffers possible broken hip. After elephant recaptured, 3 circus horses get loose and are returned by workers. (Associated Press)
January 26, 2000 Riverview, FL Elephant at winter facility of Ramos Family Circus breaks away from tether to tree and attacks and stomps to death female family member. Other elephant at compound involved in 02/21/99 incident at Poughkeepsie, NY. (St. Petersburg Times) 04/24/99 Duluth, MN Elephant traveling with Tarzan Zerbini International Circus breaks free of rear shackle and seriously injures circus worker. (Duluth News-Tribune)
February 21, 1999 Poughkeepsie, NY Elephant in Hanneford Circus escapes ring and charges toward crowd. 3 people injured while fleeing. (Poughkeepsie Journal)
