She also had no diseases likely to trigger the rampage.īut McMillan said that, based on his experience, her care is not an issue. The preliminary investigation indicates Tyke had sufficient food, shelter and other care, officials said. Investigators have heard about three or four incidents involving Tyke, “but we cannot verify them at this time,” she said. of Agriculture is investigating the death to determine if Hawthorne met government animal-care standards, said Cynthia Eck, a department spokeswoman. In another incident, also last year, it took trainers in Pennsylvania an hour to coax her back through a door she “enlarged considerably” by smashing through just before a performance. Last year she broke the ribs of a trainer in North Dakota, said Mike Burgwin, chief investigator for the Hawaiian Humane Society. Those investigating the incident said Tyke was known as a troublesome animal among trainers and she had previous outbursts on multiple occasions. In addition, about a dozen people inside the arena were treated for injuries sustained while fleeing the arena. That elephant wanted blood.”īeckworth was hospitalized and is recovering from his injuries. “When an elephant gets spooked they normally try to get away,” he said. McMillan said Tyke’s behavior was not typical for an elephant that had been spooked. It would have been better to approach Tyke from the side and then move toward her front to ward off the attack, McMillan said. ![]() “I knew he was obviously trying to save (the) other guy’s life, but on the other hand, that’s the last thing you do in that situation.” “I think the thing that shocked me the most was when I saw the trainer step in front of the elephant,” McMillan said. An employee at the company’s facility in Richmond, Ill., declined to comment.īeckworth was thrown down by the elephant and veteran trainer Allen Campbell, 37, was crushed to death when he tried to prevent the elephant from stomping on Beckworth’s head. Attempts to reach officials Friday at Hawthorne’s headquarters in Grayslake, Ill., were unsuccessful.
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