# Least Likely Causes of Death in Elephants **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288 "2004-09-27T12:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/1 "2004-09-27T12:00:56Z")
In [this Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=277809) there has been much speculation on which animals could kill an elephant. Although the OP only asks of animals being _capable_ of killing an elephant, some Dopers were annoyed at seeing offered examples of animals who just plain _wouldn’t_ be killing elephants, while others felt that the OP was worded in such a way to allow wild hypotheses so the likelihood of the two animals facing off was not important. So, I was inspired to start this Thread in which we can all speculate as to the least likely cause of death for an elephant. My nominations: [ul] [li]Slip in the Shower[/li][li]Shoelace caught in an escalator[/li][li]Pop Rocks and Coke[/li][li]Bizarre Gardening Accident[/li][li]Auto-erotic Asphyxiation[/li][/ul] Ideas of your own? Comments on examples already offered? ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/2 "2004-09-27T12:19:45Z")
I read the thread title and came in here _specifically_ to say “autoerotic asphyxiation”. Argh. Heroin overdose. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/3 "2004-09-27T12:21:13Z")
I also was going to write “autoerotic asphyxiation”. Something of a theme? Anywy, how about anaesthetic complications during breast augmentation surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/4 "2004-09-27T12:23:13Z")
-Trampled by mad shoppers at a shoe sale -Trying to imitate cartoon characters -Choking on a pretzel ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/5 "2004-09-27T12:23:27Z")
Skydiving accident. Scubadiving accident. Dragracing accident. Submarine implosion. Bunjee jumping accident. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/6 "2004-09-27T12:24:17Z")
Being mugged Breaking his/her neck competing in the Iditarod ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/7 "2004-09-27T12:25:21Z")
Vampire Attack ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/8 "2004-09-27T12:25:45Z")
Also: Meth lab explosion Space shuttle crash Prison riot ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/9 "2004-09-27T12:26:25Z")
and another shooting up with ‘bad stuff’ or whatever the idiom is now. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/10 "2004-09-27T12:35:11Z")
Aneurism trying to understand what the hippo meant when it accused him of cognitive dissonance. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/11 "2004-09-27T12:36:01Z")
Tripped & fell whilst, and at the same time, participating in an International Kung Fu Tournament. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/12 "2004-09-27T12:37:58Z")
Pistols at dawn with **Polycarp** ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/13 "2004-09-27T12:43:30Z")
Shark attack. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/14 "2004-09-27T12:46:45Z")
Choking to death on hot dog pieces that are not cut small enough. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/15 "2004-09-27T12:59:24Z")
Hamster bite? ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/16 "2004-09-27T13:01:33Z")
Rapid deflation after having a garden hose inserted and removed quickly Fall from a tightrope Terrified to death by the letter Q on the keyboard ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/17 "2004-09-27T13:05:17Z")
It all begins at a dinner party at Boddy Mansion. It was Mrs. Peacock with a Rope in the Dining Room. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/18 "2004-09-27T13:08:19Z")
Electrocution by a radio accidentally falling into the bubble bath. Complications during liposuction. ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/19 "2004-09-27T13:18:05Z")
Organ rejection after heart transplant? (Don’t ask. It’s in a book I’m reading) Elephant serial killer? Getting beached? (like a whale) Nuclear explosion? Eaten by a snake? Maybe a nice pair of concrete shoes from the Mob? Forgetting to breathe? (I find that quite funny. I’m betting I’m the only one) Fall down the stairs? Fall down an elevator shaft? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288/20 "2004-09-27T13:27:46Z")
Brought down by police after a botched bank robbery Falling out of a tree Strangled by the cord for the ventian blinds Being run over by a car after little Timmy forgot to close the gate [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-likely-causes-of-death-in-elephants/266288.md?page=2)