In Thailand, an elephant attacked a Spanish tourist. The incident occurred while washing animals in one of the local recreation centers. The woman died as a result of her injuries, media report.
The incident occurred on Friday at the Koh Yao Elephant Care center on the Thai island of Koh Yao Yai located in the Andaman Sea. A Spanish tourist from the city of Valladolid was attacked while bathing an animal that, for unknown reasons, pierced her with a tusk. The deceased 22-year-old woman was a student of law and international relations at the University of Navarra – the website of the Spanish daily Diario de Valladolid reported.
“Washing elephants is a regular activity in recreational centers for these animals in Thailand. They also take part in shows for tourists to cover the costs of their maintenance,” recalled the daily “El Pais”.
The first such case this year
According to the newspaper, this is the first fatal attack involving an elephant this year. Over the last 12 years, there have been 240 fatalities involving these animals, most of them due to wild elephants attacking human-inhabited areas due to the loss of their natural habitat. In 2024 alone, 39 people died.
Main photo source: stock.adobe.com – photo illustrative