Abstract: On a Sunday at 2:15 p.m., Employee #1 and the contractor/elephant owner were leading a male elephant from an outside yard area into a holding/feeding barn. After opening a gate from the yard area, the owner and employee began to lead the elephant up a slightly graduated cement ramp, 9 feet in length and enclosed on the sides by metal rail fences, toward the barn door. Both men were apparently on the left side of the elephant. The normal procedure was for the owner to be at the front left shoulder of the animal and his assistant to be at the left rear flank. For unknown reasons, the employee either fell or was knocked down by the elephant. The elephant then pushed his head into the employee's chest, crushing him to death. Employee #1 was not working at his regularly-assigned elephant handling duties. The weather was mild, clear, and sunny.