Elephant who may have been protecting keeper crushes her

A former circus elephant being cared for at a New Zealand zoo killed its keeper Wednesday as she was preparing the pachyderm to travel to a California animal sanctuary. Local rescue workers said the African elephant, known as both Jumbo and Mila, "attacked" the keeper by sitting on her and then refusing to let anyone come close, according to The Sun. The Associated Press says the elephant crushed its caretaker by picking her up with its trunk in a possible attempt to protect her from a perceived threat. A truly sad ending for a woman described by the zoo as "incredibly passionate about the welfare of animals."