Elephant Impales Zookeeper

An elephant crushed a keeper to death Sunday at the Vienna Zoo, police said.

Zookeeper Gerd Kohl, 39, was killed after he had showered the elephant, Abu, as part of the morning routine, the Austria Press Agency said, citing veterinarian Thomas Voracek.

The elephant, an almost 4-year-old bull, pinned Kohl to the wall and speared him with his tusks, APA reported. Kohl, who had worked at the zoo since 1998, had cared for the elephant since his birth there.

A colleague who witnessed the killing suffered from shock.

The zoo's elephant exhibit was closed Sunday as police gathered evidence.

The oldest elephant in the zoo's herd, 46-year-old Jumbo, died last weekend, APA reported.

In 2002, another keeper at the zoo was killed by a jaguar, which mauled the 21-year-old woman after she failed to close a door.

The zoo, located near the imperial castle Schoenbrunn, is one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions. It was founded in 1752.