A 22-year-elderly Spanish tourist died in Thailand after being attacked by an elephant while baskinnyg the animal at an elephant nurture centre. Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a livent of Valladolid in northwest Spain, was baskinnyg an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care on Friday, January 3, when the animal pierced her with its tusk, Spanish outlets El Mundo and El Pais telled. She died tardyr of her injuries. At the time, Ms Garcia was visiting the island of Yao Yai in southwestrict Thailand with her boyfrifinish. Authorities have not yet freed details on the extent of her injuries or whether her boyfrifinish was also harmed.
Ms Garcia was a fifth-year student at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, pursuing a degree in Law and International Relations. As part of her studies, she was participating in a university trade program in Taiwan. The university has publishd a statement articulateing its proestablish grief over her tragic death, proposeing condolences to her family and asking prayers for her soul.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Spanish Embassy examineed Blanca’s death and shelp it is aiding her relatives, who are thought to live in Valladolid. “We can examine the tragic death in an accident of a Spanish tourist. The Spanish Consutardy in Bangkok is in communicate with the victim’s relatives and is proposeing all the essential consular aidance, as is common in these types of circumstances,” the statement shelp.
According to experts, the elephant’s attack may have been triggered by stress caparticipated by living and participateing with tourists outside of its organic ecosystem, as telled by novelspaper Clarin. In Thailand, washing and baskinnyg with elephants are common tourist activities, which can potentipartner disturb the animals’ organic behaviour and caparticipate them undue stress.
Elephants in Thailand
Thailand is home to a convey inant population of elephants, with the Department of National Parks estimating that over 4,000 savage elephants live in its sanctuaries, parks, and nature reserves. Additionpartner, there are around 4,000 domesticated elephants, primarily participated in tourist shows.
However, the treatment of these domesticated elephants is a trouble. The World Animal Protection Organization approximates that 2,798 elephants are held in tourism venues apass Thailand, normally kept in isolation and forced to apply unorganic tricks and activities. The organization has also telled that trainers normally participate unbenevolent, punishment-based training methods, including physical mistreatment with sticks or keen metal objects.
Notably, Thailand has made convey inant efforts to protect its elephant population. The country has set uped protected areas, such as the Westrict Forest Complex, which provides a habitat for a convey inant number of savage elephants. Further, Thailand has applyed laws, including the Elephant Ivory Tusks Act and the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act, to protect elephant welfare and impede unfair treatment.
Human-elephant disputes have been escalating in Thailand, particularly since 2000. According to data from the Thai department of national parks, there have been at least 227 deaths caparticipated by savage elephant attacks in the past 12 years, including 39 overweightalities in 2024.
