A zoo has launched an investigation after one of its bull elephants fatally injured another in a brutal night-time attack. M’Changa, a 12-year-old African elephant, had been sleeping when the other bull struck in the early hours. He died shortly after the incident at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, near Wraxall, North Somerset, which comes after it was reveled new laws could stop elephants from being brought to UK zoos and safari parks in the future. The zoo said its keepers are ‘distraught’ by M’Changa’s death.
On Saturday, the Mail told of the Government’s plans to ban keeping elephants in zoos or safari parks. Noah’s Ark has three bull elephants as part of its 20-acre Elephant Eden facility. The elephants have 24-hour access to the outside areas and the zoo has previously won awards for best practice. It said another two bull elephants, named Shaka and Janu, were in the enclosure at the time of the attack and that the trio had ‘successfully lived together for over three years’. The zoo said Janu, 16, and Shaka, 29, are unhurt but declined to name the attacker. The zoo said: ‘Bull elephants are large and powerful animals. Their behaviour in the wild and in zoos can often typically be active, boisterous and can at times be aggressive. ‘M’Changa, Shaka and Janu enjoyed special bonds as part of the group, often displaying brotherly relationships. M’Changa was living with the other two bulls in the Elephant Eden, a 20 acre space that has previously won an award on its best practice with specialist elephant keepers.
