The
Zombie Elephant was an ordinary Indian Elephant which became afflicted with the
t-Virus through accidental means; the virus was exposed to Raccoon City's water supply and caused an outbreak throughout. When the infected water reached the Raccoon Zoo, virtually all of its animals succumbed to it and were transformed into Zombies.
The Elephant itself was an attraction at the Zoo named Oscar which had its own special performance area. When Oscar was infected, he grew considerably in size and his aggression was heightened to a point where he was essentially a rampaging beast, rushing through areas and destroying property. The infection also destroyed its skin cells, giving it a necrotic appearance with flesh wounds covering its body.
Obviously the creature was extremely dangerous - as even a regular elephant would have the power to kill most other creatures with ease. When it was encountered by survivors, they had the option whether to simply try to kill it or lure it into a dead end and trap it.
Interestingly, the
Zombie Elephant somehow retained some of its former acquired skills despite the
t-Virus infection typically destroying all memories and consciousness; if it heard its theme song on its stage, it will remember it and dance along to it for a brief moment.
Despite its power, the
Zombie Elephant was not considered as a lab developed B.O.W. (Bio-Organic Weapon) - this is probably because despite appearances, it wasn't really that different from its previous form. That and it was far too aggressive - although the fact that it could be manipulated slightly was a plus.
