Authorities in northern Cantabria in Spain are investigating how an elephant killed a worker at a local zoo
MADRID – Authorities in northern Cantabria in Spain are investigating how an elephant killed a worker at a local zoo.
The Cantabrian regional government says Joaquín Gutiérrez, 44, died at a hospital on Tuesday several hours after an elephant hit him with his trunk while cleaning the site of the Cabárceno Natural Park, near Santander.
The blow pushed Gutierrez back and hit him in the head against the pen bars, officials said.
Gutierrez has been working with elephants at the zoo for nearly 20 years, local tourism chief Javier Lopez Marcano said in a statement on the regional government’s website.
Marcano said the elephant that hit him had a foot infection and is probably pregnant. It weighs more than 4 tons (4.4 tons).
Friday was not immediately able to contact zoo and regional officials.
Police and CANTUR, the regional tourism organization run by Cabarceno, are investigating the attack.