A Missouri zookeeper was killed Friday when a female elephant became violent.
City spokesperson Cora Scott confirmed to the Associated Press that longtime Dickinson Park Zoo employee John Bradford, 62, died after an elephant attacked him inside the enclosure where the animal lived. The 41-year-old female elephant was named Patience, and had lived at the zoo for the past 23 years.
Bradford was in the area designated for elephants with two other workers, as Patience had a history of getting aggressive. The animal suddenly rushed at Bradford, barreling him to the ground. The other two workers managed to get away unscathed, Springfield Police Department spokesperson Lisa Cox told CNN Wire. Zoo employees are still unsure as to what might have set the elephant off, leading her to fatally charge Bradford.
"It's an extremely sad time for the co-workers at the zoo and the city," Scott told AP.
Bradford has reportedly worked at the zoo for the past 25 years.
At around 8:45 a.m. local time, emergency response teams received calls of the attack. Two ambulances and the Springfield fire department were sent to the area in the zoo where the elephants live. They left the scene by around 9:30 a.m., but police stuck around to speak with the media and start an investigation into the event.
Zoo officials told AP that currently, there are two female and two male elephants living in the zoo. Another female elephant named Connie died earlier this month.
Patience's fate is still unknown, but some zoo employees are currently weighing if she'll get shipped out or stick around.
The zoo was open for business as usual on Friday following the fatal incident.
