In Spain's northern Cantabria region, authorities are investigating how an elephant killed a zookeeper.

The regional government has said that the 44-year-old Joaquin Gutierrez died in hospital after a female elephant struck him with her trunk while he was cleaning the enclosure at the Cabarceno Nature Park near Santander.

Gutierrez was blown back and hit his head against the bars of the elephant pen after being hit with such force, officials said. The elephant in question weighs more than four tons. 

This is not the first time an animal has struck a worker in Spain. In September last year, a zookeeper was attacked and left with two broken arms after a 200kg gorilla entered an area that should have been locked.

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But the elephant that struck the worker is likely pregnant and suffering from a foot infection, said local tourism chief Javier Lopez Marcano in a statement on the regional government's website.

Marcano added that Gutierrez had been working with elephants at that zoo for almost 20 years. The regional police and CANTUR, the regional tourism organization, are investigating the attack.

The Cabarceno Nature Park is home to around 120 animal species, including wolves, tigers, lions, and jaguars.

The zoo's main focus is on conserving endangered species – it is home to a threatened white rhinoceros – and environmental education.