Elephant calf Sanook dies at Melbourne Zoo

An elephant calf has died after getting his head caught while playing with his favourite toy tyre at Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo director Kevin Tanner says CCTV footage shows 11-month-old Sanook's death was the result of a tragic accident.

Sanook was playing with a large suspended tyre in his barn on Tuesday evening when he managed to manoeuvre it in an unusual way that caused his head to become caught, Mr Tanner said.

"This placed pressure on his neck and would have prevented him from breathing," he said on Wednesday.

Preliminary post-mortem results confirm that as the cause of death.

The zoo says the tyre was one of Sanook's favourite toys, as it was for his sister Mali and brother Ongard.

"This is a tragic accident that has left our keepers, vets and staff community devastated," Mr Tanner said.

"To our knowledge no such accident has taken place previously in any zoo with elephants."

Tyres are commonly used around the world in zoos as an approved form of enrichment for elephants, a zoo statement said.

Sanook was seen playing energetically and suckling from his mother Num-Oi on Tuesday and was found dead on Wednesday morning.

Sanook, who would have turned one in January, was the youngest of three calves born at the zoo.