A man who was devoted to taking care of retired circus elephants was killed after one of the animals accidentally stepped on him.
James Laurita, 56, was working at the Hope Elephants foundation before he died, an organization he founded with his brother Tom in 2011, Detroit Free Press reported.
Laurita co-founded the organization for circus elephants after he retired from his own career as a veterinarian.
Hope Elephants is currently home to two elephants, Opal and Rosie, who retired from the Carson & Barnes Circus after suffering from major health problems. Laurita met the elephants for the first time decades ago when he was an elephant handler at the same circus, according to Bangor Daily News.
Laurita's death was ruled accidental by Mark Belserene of the Maine medical examiner's office, after reviewing the autopsy. His official cause of death was "asphyxiation and multiple fractures caused by compression of the chest."
Justin McInenny and Andrew Stewart, the directors of Hope Elephants, told Bangor Daily News that it's still too soon to determine what will happen to Laurita's foundation.
