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Helicopter lands in zoo to pick up ill woman

COLCHESTER, England, May 5 (UPI) -- An air ambulance touched down in the elephant pit of England's Colchester Zoo in order to rescue a woman suffering from breathing problems, officials said.

The Essex Air Ambulance was called to the zoo just before 11:30 a.m. Sunday to pick up a 19-year-old woman, The Sunday Telegraph reported. What exactly the woman was suffering from was not reported.

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Officials determined that the elephant pit would be the easiest place for the helicopter to land, so zookeepers moved four elephants living there inside their house before the helicopter touched down.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Landing at the zoo was one of the more unusual places that the air crew have needed to do. The pilots follow strict landing protocol for any site, and this incident involved working closely with zoo staff to ensure the animals and visitors would not have been adversely affected."

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