Zoe Uses Tractor to Help Geriatric Elephant Stand After She Falls and Can’t Get Up

An older African savanna elephant needed a little help getting back on her feet after tripping over a log.

Ruth, a 43-year-old elephant residing at the Milwaukee County Zoo, made a sudden movement in reaction to “aggressive behavior from a herdmate,” leading her to fall on her side. While she tried to get up on her own, her age made it difficult for her to exert that kind of mobility.

Video of the zoo bringing in a front-loader filled with hay to give Ruth the support needed to get back on her feet went viral. The front loader carefully moved hay in the direction of Ruth’s front half. Once she got the help with getting her front half up, she was able to pop her back legs up easily. In the background, fans could be heard cheering her on.

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The zoo’s statement updating fans on Ruth’s condition after the incident explains, “In their 40s, all three members of the Zoo’s elephant herd are considered geriatric. The median life expectancy for a female African savanna elephant in human care is 39.4 years old, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).”

“As soon as Ruth fell and was unable to rise, the Zoo began implementing its planned protocol to lift a down animal, which includes alerting the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT) as well as Dawes Rigging and Crane. The Zoo’s animal care team, as well as our grounds, forestry, and maintenance teams, regularly train through drills and prepare with the HURT team for an incident such as this.”

After Ruth got up, she decided to go into the indoor habitat. This made it easy for the zoo’s veterinary team to step in and do an assessment to make sure she wasn’t too seriously injured from the fall or her attempts to get back up.

“She will continue to be monitored closely and is doing well,” the team shared, adding, “We’re proud of our Zoo team, who did an outstanding, efficient job in handling this situation. Unfortunately, this may happen again with any member of our herd. In fact, the Elephant Care Center was built to accommodate the needs of geriatric elephants: It contains a crane and remote lifting equipment. We are fortunate that MFD’s HURT and Dawes Crane was not needed today, and we are appreciative of their willingness to assist.”

Some commenters were concerned Ruth might find herself in a situation with her aggressive herdmate once again. The zoo replied to assure guests that behavior assessments are being planned to make sure the elephants are all housed in the safest environment available to them.