A freak accident at the Toronto Zoo killed Tessa, a nearly 40-year-old African elephant.
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Tessa was heading for a pile of hay when she was nudged over by a more dominant elephant, zoo spokeswoman Shanna Young told the Toronto Sun. At 8,100 pounds, Tessa was the low-ranking elephant in the herd.
Workers used heavy machinery to get Tessa to her knees, but she was unable to stand up and died a short time later.
Her body was left in place for a few hours to allow the other four elephants in the African Savannah portion of the zoo to visit and mourn. She was then removed for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
