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December 17, 2002
MIAMI -- A zookeeper underwent surgery Monday after an elephant repeatedly kicked him, bruising his brain, damaging his spleen and breaking both of his shoulders and left arm, Metrozoo officials said.
Michael Embury, 31, remained in critical condition Monday at Jackson Memorial Hospital but is expected to recover, zoo spokesman Ron Magill said.
Embury and co-worker Brian McCampbell were feeding Flora, a 6,000-pound female elephant, on Sunday night when she knocked Embury down and kicked him into a pile of rocks, Magill said. A crowd of visitors, including children, witnessed the attack.
McCampbell saved Embury's life by screaming and beating the ground to scare the elephant away, Magill said.
Last month, a Pittsburgh zookeeper died when he was crushed by an elephant during a routine walk.
"The single most dangerous job in the zoo industry is elephant handling," Magill said. He said elephants require daily bathing and grooming, putting zookeepers in direct contact with the extremely large, quick and intelligent animals.