Denver Post: “If an elephant is down for any length of time, and that’s usually a couple hours before things start to go badly,” said Matt Johnston, a Colorado State University veterinarian. “Because you can imagine you’re looking at a 4-ton animal. So if she’s lying on her side, which is an awkward and unnatural position for an elephant, the weight of her organs and the fat in her body press down and cut off blood supply to vital organs.”

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