Bull Elephant Dies in His Sleep After Another Elephant Attacks Him at U.K. Zoo

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm/Facebook

A zoo in the U.K. is mourning the loss of one of its beloved elephants after a tragic incident involving another elephant.

On Tuesday, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset, England, announced the death of one of their male African elephants, M'Changa. The zoo was not open to the public at the time of the 12-year-old bull elephant's death.

The incident took place the morning of June 18 when another bull elephant went to the area M'Changa was sleeping and attacked him, leaving him with fatal injuries. According to the zoo, elephant keepers are "distraught" by the recent events, and an investigation is underway. The zoo's staff is reviewing the events leading up to the attack and is working to prevent any future situations.

The facility's other bull elephants, Janu and Shaka, were unharmed during the attack. The zoo noted that the three "successfully lived together" for three years after a gradual integration.

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The zoo's Elephant Eden houses the bull elephant group. The pachyderms have 24-hour access to the outside and inside areas of their 20-acre enclosure. Despite typically being social and active animals, bull elephants are powerful and aggressive at times, according to the zoo.

"The Noah's Ark team is incredibly passionate about all the animals at the zoo, and M'Changa's loss will be felt very deeply. He will be missed dearly by all staff as well as our members and visitors. We will continue to help promote and contribute to the conservation of elephants into the future." Larry Bush, the managing director of Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, said in a statement.

M'Changa arrived at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in 2014 from Boras Zoo in Sweden to contribute to the international breeding programs in place to help expand the population of the endangered elephant species.

"BIAZA is saddened to hear of the news of the unfortunate loss of an elephant at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm." said a senior spokesperson at British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). "Noah's Ark Zoo Farm has one of the largest elephant facilities in the UK and Europe. The bachelor elephant group at Noah's Ark plays a key supporting role serving wider African Elephant conservation efforts as an important part of the European Endangered Species Programme. Our thoughts are with the dedicated elephant care staff at Noah's Ark."