Runaway circus elephant kills petanque-playing French pensioner

AnAn elephant that escaped from a circus on the outskirts of Paris on Sunday killed a French pensioner who was playing in a nearby petanque competition, reports The Guardian.

The animal was in an enclosure surrounded by electric wire after finishing his performance in the afternoon. Witnesses said the elephant grabbed a tarpaulin and placed it over the electrified fence to make its escape.

The 84-year-old man was playing in the petanque competition at Place de la Republique at Lizy-sur-Ourcq in the Seine-et-Marne area, south of the French capital, when the elephant struck him with his trunk, knocking him to the ground.

The man was taken by helicopter to hospital where he died.

Read more of this report from The Guardian.