A 23-year-old Spanish tourist lost her life while bathing an elephant at a sanctuary in southern Thailand, local police reported. The tragic incident occurred at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre in Phang Nga province when the stressed elephant struck the woman with its trunk, according to police chief Jaran Bangprasert.
Authorities have reached out to the Spanish embassy to confirm the victim’s identity. The sanctuary declined to comment on the matter.
Bathing elephants is a popular tourist activity in Thailand, where approximately 2,800 elephants are kept for tourism purposes. However, animal rights groups have raised concerns about the practice, citing its potential to cause distress to the animals. Some sanctuaries have prohibited elephant bathing altogether.
While wild elephant attacks are more common, such incidents at sanctuaries remain rare. According to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, wild elephants have killed 227 people, including tourists, over the past 12 years.
