Elephant 'Accidentally' Kills Spanish Zookeeper While Trying To Protect Its Calf

A Spanish zookeeper died Tuesday after an elephant accidentally hit him with its trunk while trying to protect its calf, causing him to smash his head on the iron bars of the animal’s enclosure.

Joaquin Gutierrez Arnaiz, 44, was taking part in the routine cleaning of the animals at the Cabarceno Natural Park near Santander. He was standing in an intermediate security corridor where elephants queue up to enter and exit their stables when the female elephant hit him, The Sun reported, citing a statement from the zoo authorities.

Arnaiz was knocked off his feet by the impact of the strike and hit his head on the railings of the enclosure. Two of his colleagues who were present at the scene called emergency responders and Arnaiz was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead three hours later.

Police and civil guards have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, which the zoo authorities dubbed as the "first fatal accident" of its kind in the park’s 30-year history, according to the outlet.

"Joaquin’s death has caused great commotion among his colleagues and Cantur, the publicly owned company which manages the park. This is the first fatal accident that has occurred at Cabarceno Natural Park in 30 years," the park authorities said in the statement, The Sun reported.

Regional tourism and industry councilor Francisco Javier Lopez Marcano paid his tribute to Arnaiz, who was a 19-year veteran elephant keeper at the park. "We are deeply shocked. The loss of such a young and popular person has caused great pain. He was a great lover of elephants and his work," Marcano said in a statement, according to The Sun.

"Rest in peace, What a tragedy. However experienced you are you can never lower your guard. Animals react out of fear or to protect their young. My condolences to Joaquin’s family," Mery Bravo, another employee at the park, told the outlet.