Shirahama Adventure World - Zookeeper Dies After Being Struck by Elephant's Nose

On the morning of March 12th around 9:15, 37 year-old Thai zoo keeper Weichai Madei (sic) was struck by an elephant's swinging trunk, causing him to hit his head on a structure that was in the animal's enclosure. He was transported to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries an hour later. The cause of death was determined to be a cerebral contusion. Police are now conducting an investigation into whether or not there was an issue with safety management at the park.

According to the Shirahama Police, the victim was in the process of giving the female Asian Elephant named Rari (40 years-old, 3.5 tonnes) a bath with another male zookeeper. According to Adventure World, they were inside of the enclosure which houses their two elephants, called "Elephant Plaza." They were pouring water on the elephant, which was laying down and cleaning her using brushes. The elephant suddenly stood, hitting Mr. Weichai with her nose, forcing him into a nearby metal pole measuring roughly 15 centimeters in diameter. There were no parkgoers present, as the incident happened before the park opened for the day.

Rari had been at Adventure World since its opening in 1978. Mr. Weichai had experience working with elephants in Thailand and came to work for the park in 2015. As of now, Rari will not be participating in daily feeding events, where she takes bananas from park visitors using her trunk. The elephant rides, which allow park visitors to ride on the back of the other elephant are the park, have also been suspended until further notice. Mr. Koji Imazu (sic), Zoo Director at Shirahama Adventure World said that he deeply apologizes to Mr. Weichai and the bereaved family and that he would like to confirm the cause of the accident and strictly enforce safety measures.

Adventure World is well known for their Giant Panda breeding program, as well as their wide range of animals on display which includes dolphins, polar bears, and lions. It is also a theme park which offers rides and other fun attractions. Last November, the park also had an incident where the wiring in a Ferris Wheel gondola caught fire.

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