A 22-year-old tourist was killed while bathing an elephant at a Thai – National sanctuary
A 22-year-old tourist was killed by an elephant at a zoo in Thailand after the animal turned on him while he was being bathed, according to media reports.
Spanish newspapers El Mundo and El Pais reported that Blanca Ojanguren García, from northwest Spain, was bathing the elephant next to her boyfriend at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center on Friday, Jan. 3, when an elephant attacked him.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
García, who studied law and international relations at Spain’s University of Navarra, lived in Taiwan as part of a student exchange program. She had gone to Thailand on holiday with her boyfriend.
The University of Navarra’s faculty of law issued a statement on Friday, expressing condolences and asking for prayers.
Jesus Carnero, the mayor of Valladolid, where García is from, also expressed his condolences to his family, friends and classmates.
The owner of the sanctuary told El Mundo that García and her boyfriend were among the few visitors to the center that day, and were joined by about 10 workers to bathe the animals.
The owner told El Mundo that the elephant hit the woman with its trunk. No one else was injured in the attack.
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Experts told local media that the elephant may be stressed due to the stress of living and interacting with visitors.
The Koh Yao Elephant Care Center says online that it is committed to “providing responsible and ethical interactions with elephants” and that we “do not control” or “use a hook on our elephants.”
Touring with elephants is a popular tourist activity in Thailand, and although these animals are considered gentle giants, they sometimes attack tourists.
According to El Pais, in the last 12 years there have been 240 killings involving elephants in Thailand, including 39 last year.
Asian elephants are considered an endangered species, and about 2,800 animals are confined to tourist centers across Thailand, according to World Animal Protection figures.
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