A young woman was mauled to death by an Asian elephant during a bathing mistake in a reserve in Thailand on Friday, officials said.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported over the weekend that Spanish national Blanca Ojanguren, 22, was visiting Koh Yao Elephant Care on Koh Yao Yai with her boyfriend at the time of the incident. She was studying law at the University of Navarra at the time.
Koh Yao Elephant Care told Spanish media that the 50-year-old elephant pushed Ojanglen with its trunk while it was bathing, causing fatal injuries. At the time, there were about 18 people at the shelter, including the victim's boyfriend.
The tourist was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died, according to the reserve's owner. Due to this, we have temporarily closed our business.
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Blanca Ojangren, 22, was visiting the Koh Yao Elephant Refuge on Koh Yao Yai at the time of her death. (Castilla y Leon Equestrian Federation, via Facebook)
Experts told Argentinian newspaper Clarín that the elephant was likely stressed from interacting with tourists outside its natural habitat, but authorities did not provide details of what led to the attack. Not made clear.
Ko Yao Elephant Care offers sightseeing packages ranging from $50 to $85, according to its booking website. The company offered two-hour sessions with elephants, ranging from cooking classes to kayaking sessions.
“Visitors have many opportunities to participate in guided tours led by knowledgeable staff who educate guests about elephant behavior, biology, and the sanctuary's mission,” the website says. “This experience allows us to have up-close encounters with these amazing animals while respecting their well-being.”
Elephants are very gentle and intelligent animals, but they are known to occasionally kill humans when exposed to physical and psychological pain. In 2022, an Asian elephant sliced its handler in half with its tusks in Thailand's Phang Nga province.
Officials later discovered that elephant handlers had instructed the elephants to carry wood to a rubber plantation in the heat, leaving the elephants overwhelmed.
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Elephants Boon Thong, Rona Aldo, and their mother Rels stand on a hillside near Mae Sapok village in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on July 21, 2020. (Lauren Dechka/Getty Images)
At the time, Save the Asia Elephants CEO Duncan McNair told Newsweek magazine that elephants are sensitive to abuse and can become stressed by human behavior.
”[It] This is yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are, and continue to be, wild animals that can attack and kill if abused or overstressed by humans,” McNair said. said.
U.S. zoos typically prohibit visitors and most staff from touching elephants. But Thailand's elephant sanctuaries lure tourists with the promise of up-close encounters with the animals.
According to the World Federation of Game Reserves, the quality of game reserves, including elephant sanctuaries, varies widely.
“This industry is poorly regulated, and facilities that raise animals in poor conditions can distinguish themselves against the highest quality facilities,” the site says. “For those investing in the welfare of captive animals, determining where best to invest your money, where the need for assistance is greatest, who provides a model to follow, and who you can rely on. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the most suitable sanctuary and rescue.
Asian elephants are gentle animals, but they can kill humans in some situations. (St. Petersburg)
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Ko Yao Elephant Care did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to wildlife experts for more information.
