Woman, 23, fatally struck during elephant bathing activity in southern Thailand.
A tragic incident unfolded at a Thai elephant sanctuary when a 23-year-old Spanish tourist was killed after being struck by an elephant’s trunk while bathing the animal. The incident occurred at the Koh Yao Elephant Care centre in Phang Nga province, located in southern Thailand, on January 6. Local authorities confirmed the death, with the elephant reportedly distressed at the time of the attack.
Police chief Jaran Bangprasert reported that the woman suffered fatal injuries during the incident. The authorities have contacted the Spanish Embassy to confirm the victim’s identity, while the sanctuary has not disclosed additional details when approached by AFP for comment.
This tragedy highlights the ongoing issue of elephant-related fatalities in Thailand. Over the past 12 years, 227 people, including tourists, have been killed by wild elephants, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. In a recent incident, a 49-year-old woman was also killed by an elephant in Loei province in December 2024.
Although conflicts between wild elephants and local communities are relatively frequent, fatal incidents at sanctuaries are rare. Bathing elephants, a popular tourist activity in Thailand, has attracted criticism from animal rights groups. They argue that such activities can cause significant distress to the elephants, leading some sanctuaries to cease offering them. Thailand is home to around 2,800 elephants used for tourism, according to World Animal Protection.
