Crane, Crew Needed To Get Zoo Elephant Back On Its Feet

Tara the elephant fell down, and she couldn’t get up. It took a crane, six firefighters and veterinarians several hours to help the 7,500-pound elephant onto her feet Sunday.

Tara was discovered on her side, stuck between a wall and a small incline in her Los Angeles Zoo compound. Her feet were facing up a hill.

“Because of their incredible size and the pressure on their organs, they can suffocate when they are down,” said Lora LaMarca, a spokeswoman at the zoo explaining why the rescue effort was so urgent.

The 30-year-old African elephant was unhurt and does not appear to be ill, said Dr. Ramiro Isaza, a zoo veterinarian.

Isaza said Tara may have fallen or simply gotten stuck while sleeping. That predicament, called “casting,” is common among horses and elephants.

The rescue crew put a few straps under Tara’s chest and lifted her.

“It took a few tries and some shifting … but eventually, on the last try, she had just enough lift to get her legs under her. As soon as she did that, she was able to stand,” Isaza said.

An animal rights group renewed calls to close the zoo’s elephant exhibit, home to three other elephants. It said 11 elephants have died in the zoo’s care over the years. Isaza did not confirm that figure.