A 22-year-old Spanish tourist was gored to death while visiting an elephant park in Thailand.
Blanca Ojanguren García, a university student who was on the island of Yao Yai, was bathing the elephant with her boyfriend at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre when the animal — most likely stressed or panicked, according to experts via The Independent — attacked her.
The woman was rushed to the hospital and later died from her injuries.
While some elephant "sanctuaries" in Thailand are actual safe havens, others are popular tourist attractions — and not all elephants are onboard with the arrangement. In 2024 alone, 39 people died from elephant attacks in Thailand, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
From The Independent:
García studied at the University of Navarra but was living in Taiwan under an Erasmus academic exchange programme. She had travelled to Thailand as a tourist with her partner, an infantry cadet from Oviedo in Spain, according to The Telegraph. …
World Animal Protection estimates that around 2,800 elephants in Thailand are held for tourism purposes. The charity has raised concerns over the treatment of such elephants, which are often kept in isolation, chained and made to perform tricks and other activities. It has alleged that the trainers often use methods involving hitting and lashing of the elephants.
The Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre states on its website that it is committed to "providing responsible and ethical interactions with elephants". It claims it does not "control" or "use a hook on our elephants".
Previously: Gentleman regrets touching elephant's trunk
