Mila - or Jumbo - the elephant at the centre of this week's Franklin Zoo tragedy was a regular visitor to Hamilton.
Dr Helen Schofield was killed late Wednesday afternoon when 39-year-old African elephant Mila picked her up after she went in to calm it down.
Sources said the animal
received a shock after it brushed its trunk against an electric fence that secures its enclosure.
It's understood Dr Schofield had been in the enclosure just before the incident and had been speaking to zoo-goers about Mila.
She had left the enclosure, but went back inside with a bucket of fruit to try to calm it down after someone reported the elephant suddenly jumped at least 1m sideways after the electric shock.
Mila put her head down and advanced, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed. Dr Schofield turned and ran - but tripped about a metre from the enclosure's exit.
It is understood that Mila, who is estimated to weigh three tonnes, used her trunk to pull her back by the leg, wrapped her trunk around the vet's midsection, and picked her up.
Onlookers said Dr Schofield was able to speak and calmly called the command to put her down.
Mila eventually knelt and pushed her trunk down on a bank in the enclosure, as Dr Schofield asked to be let go.
When Mila finally released her she was still talking and was seen to move. Mila backed away but then moved towards her again and repeatedly brushed her trunk up against her - and she didn't move again.
When the Whirling Brothers Circus came to town, the elephant could often be seen tethered by the circus venue - sometimes near Tristram St and later at the old intersection of Lincoln Rd and Riflerange Rd.
The animal was then in the care of Tony Ratcliffe who gave Mila up for a retirement to Franklin Zoo.
Dr Schofield developed a bond with the elephant who arrived in late 2009 as a "jumpy", "frightened" animal who had to be cared for through a protective wall.
Under the veterinarian's care, the animal is said to have become more pacified - to the point that Dr Schofield slept with her on nights the animal was troubled.
No announcement had been made on whether the 39-year-old African elephant will be put down.