18. Mila, the former circus elephant killed zoo owner with her trunk.

Wild animals are better off in the wild. Mila was a 7,000-pound African elephant, who spent 30 years as a circus elephant. In all her years in captivity, she was a victim of abuse and maltreatment, especially at the hands of her keepers in the circus. Helen Schofield, a zoo owner, and director in Auckland, New Zealand saved the elephant. She took care of the beast and saw to it that Mila was nursed back to health.

But on the day of the incident, a panic attack caused the elephant to crush the zoo owner with her trunk before throwing her into the air like a rag doll. The fall killed Helen. It was believed that the behemoth felt distressed that she might be harmed again when Helen entered the enclosure.