A baby elephant accidentally stra.ng.led himself after getting tangled up in his favorite toy, it emerged today.
Zookeepers said CCTV footage showed 11-month-old Sanook, one of Melbourne Zoo’s most popular attractions, getting stuck in a large tire swing while playing in his enclosure.
Zoo director Kevin Tanner said the calf ‘managed to maneuver it in an unusual way that caused his head to become caught’ at around 7 pm AEDT last night.
He said: ‘This placed pressure on his neck and would have prevented him from breathing.’
Preliminary post-mortem results had confirmed the cause of de.a.th, he added.
The CCTV footage has not been released by the zoo.
News of the Asian elephant calf’s de.a.th has prompted an outpouring of emotion from visitors and the wider Melbourne community.
Twitter user @knowledgedgirl said: ‘Very sad news from Melbourne Zoo, the elephant calf we watched grow from birth, di.es suddenly.’
Read more at Elephant World category
