07/02/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan
Toledo, OH—A Toledo Zoo keeper suffered extensive injuries when an elephant, which he has cared for since birth, attacked him Thursday, July 1, 2010. While Louie the African elephant will not be punished for the incident, the zoo contends he will be kept more isolated and in “protected contact” with zoo keepers, according to information provided by ToledoOnTheMove.com.
The attack occurred just after 4 p.m. in Louie’s cage, as Don Redfox, 53, tended to the 7-year-old animal. For unknown reasons and with no warning, the elephant charged. Reports indicated Louie did not have a history of aggressive behavior prior to the episode.
“As bull elephants get older they do tend to at some point you start to get protected contact with them because when they go into what’s called “musk” or mating season they can become more aggressive but Louie has shown no signs of that. He’s also relatively young at seven still,” Toledo Zoo Deputy Director Ron Fricke explained.
After the barrage, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel rushed Redfox, who is the zoo’s elephant facility manager, to University of Toledo Medical Center. Redfox suffered fractured ribs, a wrist injury and scrapes. He has been working with animals for more than three decades.
According to Zoo Director Andi Norman, the zoo is conducting a full probe into the attack as a means of attempting to determine what might have prompted the elephant to exhibit such aggression. Norman noted the zoo is also “working on a plan to manage the elephants through the coming days and into the future”.
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