A ZOOKEEPER has been killed by an elephant in Spain after the animal hit him with its trunk. Joaquin Gutierrez Arnaiz, 44, smashed his head on the iron bars of the enclosure after the elephant tried to protect her calf. He was rushed to hospital after two colleagues desperately tried to save him, but died around three hours after being struck, just after 11am yesterday. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred at Cabarceno Natural Park, a zoo near Santander and traditionally one of the main tourist attractions of the region of Cantabria which the northern Spanish port city is the capital of. It has been described as the "first fatal accident" of its kind in the park's 30-year history. Friends and colleagues are due to pay tribute to Joaquin in a midday ceremony at the park, an international centre of reference in the reproduction and care of African elephants. His bosses confirmed in a statement: "A worker at the Cabarceno Natural Park has died after being hit by one of the elephants. "The accident occurred at 8.30am on Tuesday outside the stables of the pachyderms, as daily cleaning and release of the animals began. "Joaquin Gutierrez Arnaiz,… Read full this story
- Hoard of ivory discovered on the wreck of a 16th century Portuguese trading vessel in southern Africa reveals forest elephants were already living in the savannah 500 years ago
- Elephant Santas spread virus awareness among Thai children
- Kerala photographer’s alluring monochromatic images of wildlife
- The toilet habits of the Tardigrade revealed: ‘Toughest creature on Earth’ that can survive in space takes poops a third the size of its entire body
- 100 Best Movies of 2020, According to Audiences
- Isla Fisher gets photobombed by Eric Bana during his glitzy movie premiere in Sydney... as it's announced the two Australian actors are set to star in a film together in 2021
- The Case for the End of the Modern Zoo
- Evacuation order is issued for thousands of homes as monster storm destroys beaches and wipes out roads as it devastates Australia's east coast - and a terrifying map shows the worst is yet to come
- Foreign-owned super trawler that controls almost a QUARTER of England's fishing quota will still take biggest share after Brexit, campaigners warn
- The 53 best TV shows to stream on Netflix
Spanish zookeeper killed by elephant ‘accidentally’ smashing him with her trunk while protecting calf have 383 words, post on www.thesun.co.uk at February 25, 2021. This is cached page on Europe Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.