Elephant Kills Tourist in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park

A wild male elephant, known as Prey Oyewan, killed a tourist in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, on Monday. This incident marks the third fatality linked to the same elephant.

The deceased was identified as Jirathachai Jirapatboonyatorn, a 65-year-old Thai man. He was trampled while walking with his wife in the park. Reports indicate that the elephant seized Jirapatboon Yathorn by its trunk, threw him to the ground, and then stomped on him.

Chaiya Huaihon Thong, the director of Khao Yai National Park, mentioned that other unsolved deaths might also be related to this bull elephant. Park authorities are scheduled to meet this Friday to discuss possible actions regarding the animal.

“We will likely decide between relocating him or altering his behavior,” Huaihon Thong stated.

The park has not yet provided a response to inquiries about the situation.

According to Thailand’s National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Protection Department, wild elephants have been responsible for the deaths of over 220 people since 2012. In related news, Thai police charged a trainer in January when a captive elephant was involved in the death of a Spanish tourist, Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, who succumbed to head injuries sustained during a bathing incident.

The wild elephant population in Thailand has swelled from 334 in 2015 to nearly 800 last year. In response, authorities have begun vaccinating female elephants to curb further population growth.

Thailand is not alone in facing these challenges; India has also experienced a rise in deadly elephant attacks. Recently, an elephant in Jharkhand state was reported to have killed 22 individuals since the beginning of January.