What Will Become Of Mila The Elephant?

I've been following the story of Mila the elephant for several days. She is a 39-year-old African elephant who recently killed her caregiver, Dr Schofield.  The doctor was a vet and owner of Franklin Zoo.

photo source NZ Herald

The details of the death are still unclear as stories appear to vary. One version states Mila received an electric shock from her fenced enclosure and charged Dr Schofield as she tried to calm her and another says the elephant misinterpreted the instructions given to her and crushed Dr Schofield.

Mila was born in Africa and resided at two different zoos before spending 30 years of her life in a circus. When she was retired, she was sent to Franklin Zoo and remained in the care of Dr Schofield for two years. The doctor was working on a plan to send Mila to an elephant sanctuary to live out the remainder of her years.


There are also conflicting reports as to why Mila killed her caregiver. I am shocked but not surprised when I hear stories of this nature. Mila is a wild animal after all, not a pet. Elephants are not solitary animals and although she has been cared for, she has been confined and performing tricks for humans without contact with any elephants for a very long time.


Authorities have yet to determine the fate of Mila. In my opinion, this tragedy will only be intensified if the elephant is destroyed. Mila still has a place waiting for her at the elephant sanctuary. I'm hoping Dr Schofield's wishes will be carried out so Mila can spend her remaining years with her own kind and hopefully rediscover what it's like to be an elephant again.