10. Mila The Former Circus Elephant Crushes Zoo Owner With Trunk (Auckland, 2012)
Being mauled to death by a big tiger is perhaps the most-common form of zoo death - but being crushed by a 500-stone African elephant's trunk is certainly not something you hear about every day. Yet, at Franklin Zoo in Auckland, New Zealand, in April 2012, that's exactly what happened to Helen Schofield - and she was the owner and director of the whole enclosure! Former circus elephant Mila - whose performing name was "Jumbo" - had been nursed back to health by the zoo owner following years of maltreatment on the entertainment circuit. And, on the morning of the attack, Ms Schofield had told more than 50 zoo visitors that Mila was struggling to sleep and was even having regular panic attacks for fear of being abused again. It is believed that Mila was deeply distressed as Ms Schofield entered the enclosure, and attempted to protect itself by wrapping its trunk tightly around the zoo owner, before hoisting her in the air and then dropping her from a great height. Mila has since moved to San Diego Zoo in the USA, where she has been reintegrated with other elephants for the first time in more than 35 years.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.