Handler killed by elephant at sanctuary (Tennesee)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/NEWS01/60721019

A 36-year-old female employee of The Elephant Sanctuary was killed this afternoon in an attack by a 40-year-old Asian elephant named Winkie, who has a history of attacking its handlers.

Authorities said the woman, whose name has not been released because her relatives have not been notified, suffered massive injuries in the attack, which took place about 11:30 a.m. at the complex in Lewis County that has gained a worldwide reputation for its humane treatment of elephants rescued from zoos, circuses and private owners.

In addition to the handler's death, a second individual, a male trainer, was hospitalized from injuries sustained as he tried to save his colleague. His name has not been released either.

He was taken to Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia.

The attack happened quickly, killing the woman "on the spot" when the elephant stepped on or kicked her, said Doug Markham, a spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

A couple years ago a handler was killed at the Pittsburgh Zoo. May be past time to keep these magnificant creatures in zoos and circuses.

[pitohui]

1. well let's see

they are too dangerous to roam around outdoors, and they are too dangerous to be in zoos and circuses

i suppose we could send the remaining elephants on this planet to the moon ?

look, life is risk, i doubt the woman would want her life to be abt making sure that elephants have no sanctuary anywhere, she chose this work and i seriously doubt it was because of the hi pay

[rodeodance]

2. nicely said.

[RufusEarl]

4. Life is a risk, ain't it the truth!

[RamboLiberal]

6. Leave them in their native habitat

Or if you must put them on display, give them the grounds and room where they need minimal handling.

And perhaps in the case of an elephant like this one who has proven dangerous in the past - then maybe it would be more humane to euthanize and protect the handlers.

That's all I'm saying. Zoos debate whether they want to have free contact or protected contact programs between their elephants and handlers.

In the Pittsburgh case the handler was killed on a daily walk around the zoo. Maybe with more room such walks wouldn't be needed.

[pretzel4gore]

9. maybe they should put a sign on him/her....

something like 'be careful, i have a temper, and can kill you just like that! i remember my mom, whom your fellow monkees killed, my pop, also killed by idiotic fukking monkees, and my brothers and sisters, tortured and killed for stinking monkee amusement...so stay back from me, at least when i'm dreaming about the things i loved'
or couldn't the poor dopes read?

[greccogirl]

19. The problem is

elephants don't belong "handled" by anyone. They belong in the wild. Bears aren't pets either as the "bear guy" and fiance found out when they were killed and partially eaten, just as S&J found out messing with tigers. These are wild animals, not pets!

[pitohui]

23. well, guess what, their situation in the wild is dire

the usa cannot tell other nations how to run their business

we have no wild elephants, having cleverly wiped them all out 10,000 years ago

we can sit on our hands and say "oh woe" or we can provide education (in the form of zoos) and sanctuaries

that is all we can do

we cannot march into africa and demand that people put up w. wild elephants stomping around without succumbing to the temptation to remove them and to sell what body parts will bring much needed profit

don't let the best be the enemy of the good


zoos and sanctuaries do much good, no institution is perfect, but make elephants irrelevant and as real as the unicorn, and no one will care when the last one is quietly converted to piano keys

[leftchick]

3. This is just heartbreaking

I love the elephant sanctuary and have been following them and contributing for years. This is so tragic. I suspect Winkie may be put down now. My heart goes out to the employees and their families.

Elephants Are NEVER to be Used for Human Entertainment. This is what happens when you do this to these wonderful animals. The wonderful people at the sanctuary thought they could heal her scars. Apparently they were for forever.

:cry:

http://www.elephants.com/winkie/winkiebio.htm

<snip>

Basic Information about Winkie
• born - 1966
• birthplace - Burma
• birth status - wild born
• captured from the wild - 1966
• life before the Sanctuary - The Henry Vilas Zoo
• reason for coming to the Sanctuary - US Department of Agriculture recommended she be moved
• moved to The Elephant Sanctuary September 12, 2000


Biography of Winkie the Asian Elephant, Seventh Resident of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee

Winkie was born in Burma in 1966. As a young calf she migrated with her family across the wilds of Southeast Asia.

At approximately one year of age, she was captured and sold into the exotic animal trade, which brought her to the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. She has shared her small zoo space since infancy with others, most recently an African elephant named Penny.

During her time at the zoo, Winkie was managed free-contact-dominance, which is a standard form of elephant management. Winkie's response to being dominated was to lash out at new keepers being trained to dominate her. She hurt several would-be elephant keepers and visitors in her 30-year stay at the zoo, earning a reputation as a dangerous elephant.

[RamboLiberal]

7. It may have been more humane

unfortunately if Winkie had been put down - or at least put in a protected contact environment since she had a history of being dangerous.

After all even Humane Society shelters will now euthanize a dog that is too aggresive to adopt out.

[leftchick]

8. I agree

elephants can become as insane as humans and sadly sometimes there is no other choice. :(

[kittenpants]

5. Three elephant-handlers are killed a year during their work

on average. Thank you Trivial Pursuit!

[blindpig]

32. It's the most dangerous job in the zoo world.

I was an elephant handler for 2 years back in the 70's. Got a bad knee to prove it. I love those critters and believe them to be sentient.

Elephants should not be kept in zoos, they are too big and too smart to do them justice.

*poor spelling

[ckramer]

10. But did these handlers abuse the elephant before repeatly?

It's hard to say. the animal is very intelligent and know who his abusers are. Finally elephant said I can't take it anymore.

Of course I don't know if this was the case.

[tularetom]

12. This was an elephant sanctuary so I doubt

there was any abuse. This woman died doing work she obviously loved. It is sad that someone who cares was killed rather than the assholes in circuses who routinely abuse these critters.

[Lars39]

13. I truly doubt that either of these handlers had ever abused Winkie.

They wouldn't have been working at the Sanctuary if they were abusive.

[LeftyMom]

14. I doubt it

The Elephant Sanctuary is a big open space for formerly captive elephants to roam. The idea is for previously abused and neglected animals to heal and live thier lives in peace. Unfortunately older elephants previously housed in zoos are generally arthritic, which puts them in a great deal of pain. They're also badly socialized in zoos and circuses since they're kept alone or in small groups and unable to roam. The zoo and circus handlers often use metal hooks and other physical punishments as well. None of this is the case at Elephant Sanctuary, PAWS and similar places, but years of damage simply can't be completely undone with elephants any more than they can be with abused humans.

[nashville_brook]

15. actually -- sanctuary...

i think these are rescued animals. retired.

i give them money at christmastime. it's an amazing program they have there. they really try to get the word out about cruelty.

might google the tennessee elephant project and see what comes up.

[barb162]

25. I've seen it on TV; looks like a terrific place

[LeftyMom]

11. How awful

People who take on the task of caring for abused and neglected animals know the risks. Don't blame the elephant, blame the people who deprived her of the life of a healthy, free elephant. Even a near-ideal enviornment like that of the Elephant Sanctuary can't undo thirty years of psychological and physical abuse and neglect, which confinement and lack of herd socialization certainly are for an elephant.

[Corgigal]

16. heres a pic and link about winkie

they do have lots of Elephants here.

http://www.elephants.com/winkie/winkiestart.htm

[go west young man]

17. May her soul rest in peace.

She died doing something noble and kind and I hope the Elephant is not punished in any way as it is a wild animal that should not be blamed for it's behavoir.

[daleo]

18. I have always been partial to elephants

Humans are in no position to feel ethically superior to elephants, in my opinion. It's too bad we can't just leave them be.

"When Elephants Weep" is a fascinating book about the inner lives of animals, including elephants.

[SquireJons]

20. Close up, elephants are scary

I worked for a few months at the Norfolk Zoo, doing some programming work for them. While there, I was given the treat of a "back room tour" of the facility and my strongest memory is of when we went into the elephant area. I got right up to the two that they had and I was very nervous. They look so peaceful and noble from a safe distance, but when you are within reach of one, you know just how weak we are in comparison to them. Even though there were bars between me and the elephants, I knew that I was toast the moment one of them decided it was my time. Never underestimate wild creatures. Even the cute little ones can put a hurtin on you in the blink of an eye.

[pitohui]

24. oh yeah

not too many of us would be tickled to have an elephant on our front lawn, as i witnessed on one occasion in kenya

we'd be calling fish and wildlife to remove the darn thing STAT!

[Crunchy Frog]

21. Alot of these creatures have been through absolute HELL

at the hands of humans. They are highly complex, sensitive, intelligent creatures who have exceptionally long memories, and appear to posses a concept of vengeance.

In general, my sympathies are more with elephants than with humans. I definitely agree about ending their exploitation in zoos and circuses. I get sickened seeing elephants being kept in those conditions.

[The Stranger]

22. A tragedy. Let the handler be mourned, and do not harm the elephant,

as it would be so clearly against her wishes.

[SquireJons]

27. How do you know that?

She may not have wanted other animal handlers to fall to her fate. People who work with animals are a lot less emotional about them than those of us who advocate from the sidelines. When I worked at the zoo, I was really surprised at the emotional disconnect that the people who actually worked with the animals had for other animals. For instance, the zoo regularly received shipments of live baby chicks that were then fed to the raptors and snakes. Cute cuddly little birdies... but the animal people couldn't have cared less. They were just food.

Another example... my girlfriend is a veterinary tech at an animal emergency hospital, and she really loves animals. But she deals with so many dead dogs and cats that it doesn't faze her at all when one dies. The closer you get, the more you let go.

[pitohui]

28. well obviously we don't "know"

and your points are well taken

however i doubt the woman would want her death to be about making elephant sanctuaries illegal in the usa, give her credit for having a brain and knowing the risks

clearly i'm not a psychic, we're all just offering opinions based on our own experience here

you can be real and accept that the day old chicks you get to feed the snakes (chickens ain't no endangered species) will die so that others may live -- that doesn't mean you would want the entire meaning of your life and death distorted to remove protection from an entire species

i have had chickens for pets and yet i have eaten chicken, i won't crap on a snake for needing a chick as a meal, nature created us as we are not as we might wish to be

some are seizing on this tragedy to say elephants should have no sanctuary at all, does that make sense?

[SquireJons]

29. I meant euthanizing this one elephant

Not getting rid of sanctuaries. No sense in throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Like the song says: "One bad elephant don't spoil the whole bunch girl..."
Or something like that.

So, how big was that elephant in your front yard, anyways? And did it just go away?

[pitohui]

31. whoa it wasn't my front yard it was another's front yard

i was just the tourist

and yeah, whew, it did just go away

[barb162]

26. a very sad story

I love elephants

[Submariner]

30. Winkie laid down for the first time in years just a fews months ago

In the years at the circus, and for years at the sanctuary, Winkie only slept standing up. It was only a few months ago it was noted in the diary that Winkie finally felt safe and relaxed enough that she finally could lay down on the ground and nap.

I have followed the Sanctuary news for years. Unfortunately, of all the elephants at TES, I believe Winkie was the most abused when she was enslaved by the circus, but this death is so surprising and sad.



Winkie was just in the June 4th slide show here: http://www.elephants.com/elediary.htm

[xchrom]

33. the elephant sanctuary is a wonderful, wonderful place.

providing an invaluable service to elephants in this country.

and that's what this sanctuary does -- serve elephants.

these elephants come to the sanctuary almost universally with issues.

and this is their chance to live a protected and relatively stress free life compared to what they had been living.

each of the people who work there are aware that these can be dangerous animals -- but they are dedicated to their well being.

this is a tragedy -- but i support the services this place provides and my heart goes out to the handler and the family she has left behind.