‘Aggressive’ elephant knocks over herdmate. Wisconsin zoo needed help, big time
An elephant at a Wisconsin zoo is being carefully watched after taking a tumble a day prior.
On Sept. 2, Ruth — one of Milwaukee County Zoo’s three elephants — “lost her footing on a log in the outdoor habitat due to aggressive behavior from a herdmate,” the zoo said in a Facebook post.
The 43-year-old elephant landed on her side, making it extremely difficult for her to get back on her feet.
“Ruth remained down but continued actively trying to get back up on her own, although her age and position made that difficult. In their 40s, all three members of the Zoo’s elephant herd are considered geriatric,” the zoo continued.
“The median life expectancy for a female African savanna elephant in human care is 39.4 years old, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”
The zoo decided it was time to bring in special aid to assist Ruth — but not the type that’s usually on stand-by if one of the larger animals fall.
“As soon as Ruth fell and was unable to rise, the Zoo began implementing its planned protocol to lift a down animal, which includes alerting the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT) as well as Dawes Rigging and Crane,” the zoo said.
“The Zoo’s animal care team, as well as our grounds, forestry, and maintenance teams, regularly train through drills and prepare with the HURT team for an incident such as this. Dawes has long been part of the Zoo’s response plan, as well.”
The zoo brought in a vehicle similar to a garbage truck in order for the elephant to basically lean on to stand.
“A front-load vehicle, operated by one of the Zoo’s vehicle machine operators and carefully guided by our elephant care coordinator, provided leverage for Ruth to ultimately be able to get up on her own and walk into the indoor habitat. From there, the Zoo’s veterinary team performed an exam to assess Ruth’s wellbeing. She will continue to be monitored closely and is doing well.”
The zoo updated the post to say Ruth was walking and standing after the incident.
This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 2:53 PM with the headline "‘Aggressive’ elephant knocks over herdmate. Wisconsin zoo needed help, big time."