When a Topeka Zoo elephant could not stand up, firefighters came to her rescue

When staff with the Topeka Zoo arrived on the morning of Dec. 10, they found their 35-year-old elephant Shannon lying on the ground.

The other elephants in the exhibit were standing around Shannon in a guarding position, the Topeka Zoo said in a Facebook post.

The staff knew they would have to get her up as soon as possible.

Elephant manager Kim Doman told the Topeka Capital-Journal that the “golden rule” for elephants is they should not lie down for more than four hours at a time.

“Their body mass is so large that stuff can start pooling if they’re not moving around enough,” she said. “Their weight can actually cause them to have labored breathing and can somewhat crush them to death if they’re down too long.”

But when staff tried to encourage Shannon to stand, the attempts were unsuccessful.

The staff then called in the help of Topeka Fire Department and the animal search and rescue team with Emergency Equine Response Unit. Fortunately, the teams had practiced for this scenario before.

“When we rolled up, it was, ‘Wow, this is exactly what we’ve been training for in the past,’ ” Topeka fire Capt. Todd Brown told the Capital-Journal. “For four years we’ve been going over a similar scenario. When you practice well, you train well, then scenarios go well. The real thing happened.”

The training paid off.

The Topeka Zoo said they were able to get straps under Shannon’s belly and erect a large tripod over her to then bring her upright using a rigging system.

Once the majority of the weight was off the ground, the Topeka Zoo said they gave her an enema to help keep her hydrated.

“After a few attempts and encouragement from the elephant staff, Shannon was able to stand up on her own,” the Zoo posted on Facebook. “Once standing, she was released from the straps that helped her stand and then she proceeded to eat hay and fruit and vegetable treats.”

The zoo’s staff members are hoping to find the underlying cause that made it so Shannon could not stand up on her own. They said she continues to eat and drink, but she will be kept inside so they can monitor her closely.

“What I witnessed ... was incredible,” zoo director Brendan Wiley told the Capital-Journal. “When I first saw Shannon lying there, I didn’t think she was going to make it. Even with all the preparation we had put into this, I was still amazed by the commitment and determination of our firefighters, and colleagues from animal search and rescue. They saved an elephant ...”

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 7:31 AM with the headline "When a Topeka Zoo elephant could not stand up, firefighters came to her rescue."