Jerusalem - A seven-ton bull elephant charged and killed a 46-year-old female elephant half his weight on Wednesday as visitors at an Israeli nature park looked on in horror.

Officials at the Safari park near Tel Aviv said they were unable to stop Yossi, a 33-year-old male, from attacking Atari, the captive herd's matriarch, and trampling her to death.

"What happened to Yossi, who grew up all his life with Atari, and they always got along?" said Yigal Horowitz, a veterinarian at the park.

"Here and there were small fights, but they never had a fight like this one."

Elephants are social mammals, observing hierarchies in their herds and visiting the burial places of loved ones for years after their death.

But scientists have recently become increasingly concerned with what they say is a rising level of violent activity among elephants.

Elephants prone to violence

In a 2005 essay in Journal of Nature, Gay Bradshaw, an Oregon State University psychologist, argued the worldwide population of elephants is suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, making them excitable and prone to violence.

Horowitz said the nature park's staff will make a decision about what to do with Yossi after investigating the incident and consulting with outside experts.

In the meantime, Bati, another female with a senior role in the herd's hierarchy, is expected to take charge of the herd.

I wouldn't be surprised if noise-pollution would have a long time effect on the elephants peace of mind.

We know they use infrasound for communication but infrasound is also created by heavy explosions like bombs.

Besides this, I don't want to know what the wind could be bringing along in Israel.

Carsten,
Interesting observation you made.....and i could see how that could be a reason for a once "wild" elephant brought to captivity. However, an elephant that was "brought up in the park" would have been acclimatised to sounds and smells I would think? hHaving such complex hierarchies I would have expected any aggression as a result of such "stress" be shown towards other bulls not the matriarch. At 33, that bull is still considered "young" and it is known that if bulls grow up without an older bull to discipline them they do indeed become quite unruly, mostly towards other bulls though.

seems the bull has got some kind of human behaviour

i have never heard before of that kind aggression towards a female. i guess the bull had some kind of stress compareable to dolphins or minky whales in captivity. somethimes they go nuts and kill each other or the trainer.
really: stress of some kind is most probably the reason.

Maybe she told him in infrasound that she had a headache. :T

Seriously though, I agree with bwanamich, the bull is still quite young. I also can't help wonder if he was in musth or is she was in estrus. However, the thing that always goes through my mind while reading of elephants in zoos or parks is they can't "act like elephants". Most elephants we have all seen walk 20 - 100 miles a day in seach of food, water, females. No matter how well run a park/zoo is, the elephant cannot act like an elephant. Yes, they may have grown up in the park, but eventually some of that instinct to wander must come through. I feel so very sorry for all of them.

[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ljPrcX5Yk]The disturbing video[/URL]