A tragic incident occurred at a sanctuary in southern Thailand when a “panic-stricken” elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal. The 23-year-old woman was struck by the elephant’s trunk at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre in Phang Nga province, according to local police.
Jaran Bangprasert, the police chief, confirmed the incident, saying, “A female tourist was killed while bathing an elephant.” Authorities are working with the Spanish embassy to confirm the victim’s identity.
The sanctuary declined to comment on the incident when contacted by AFP.
This tragic event is part of a wider pattern of interactions between humans and elephants, with wild elephants having killed 227 people, including tourists, in the last 12 years, according to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. Last month, a wild elephant also killed a 49-year-old woman in Loei province.
Although such incidents are rare at sanctuaries, they highlight the potential dangers of interacting with elephants. Bathing elephants, a popular activity for tourists, can cause distress to the animals, with some animal rights groups arguing that the practice can negatively affect their well-being. Thailand is home to around 2,800 elephants held for tourism purposes, according to World Animal Protection.
