Views: 6
Spanish tourist killed by elephant at Thai sanctuary
BANGKOK – A “panic-stricken” elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand, police said on Jan 6.
The 23-year-old woman was hit by the stressed animal’s trunk at the Koh Yao Elephant Care centre in Phang Nga province, according to police.
“A female tourist was killed while bathing an elephant,” local police chief Jaran Bangprasert told AFP.
The sanctuary declined to provide details of the incident when contacted by AFP.
Wild elephants have killed 227 people, including tourists, in the past 12 years, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Bathing elephants is a popular activity among visitors in Thailand, where about 2,800 elephants are held for tourism purposes across the country, according to World Animal Protection.
Straits Times