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On he came...his small red eyes raging. His upturned hornlike tusks were bound with bands of gold and dripped with blood. ...On the great beast thundered, blundering in blind wrath through pool and thicket.
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I think we can assume based on the burning red eyes and the blind wrath that Oliphaunts were animated by twisted, bloodthirsty Maiar spirits, similar to Balrogs. Their Maiar nature would also account for their inability to reproduce, leading to their eventual disappearance from the face of Arda as their numbers were gradually reduced by death in various wars and conflicts.
Hence, the fate of these fiendish beasts is hardly lamentable; on the contrary, it is well-deserved!