Hohenwald, Tenn.
An elephant that crushed one of her handlers to death will be spared, directors of a Tennessee elephant preserve decided this week. Winkie, a 40-year-old, 7,600-pound Asian elephant, last week knocked down 36-year-old Joanna Burke and stepped on her, killing her instantly. Burke was trying to get a closer look at one of the animal’s eyes, which appeared infected from a bug bite. The seven-member board of the Elephant Sanctuary, a 2,700-acre refuge that is home to about two dozen Asian and African elephants, debated whether to euthanize Winkie. But the board concluded that because of her discomfort, “Winkie was not in her right mind” when she attacked Burke, said director Scott Blais. Burke’s family said sparing the elephant would have been Burke’s wish too.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What does the Le Pen verdict mean for the future of French politics?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Convicted of embezzlement and slapped with a five year ban on running for public office, where does arch-conservative Marine Le Pen go from here — and will the movement she leads follow?
-
Discount stores were thriving. How did they stumble?The Explainer Blame Walmart — and inflation
-
Kaja Kallas: the EU's new chief diplomat shaping the future of European defenseIn the Spotlight Former Estonian Prime Minister's status as an uncompromising Russia hawk has gone from liability to strength
