A 22-year-old Spanish vacationer died in Thailand after being attacked by an elephant whereas bathing the animal at an elephant care centre. Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a resident of Valladolid in northwest Spain, was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care on Friday, January 3, when the animal pierced her with its tusk, Spanish retailers El Mundo and El Pais reported. She died later of her accidents. On the time, Ms Garcia was visiting the island of Yao Yai in southwestern Thailand together with her boyfriend. Authorities haven’t but launched particulars on the extent of her accidents or whether or not her boyfriend was additionally harmed.
Ms Garcia was a fifth-year scholar on the College of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, pursuing a level in Legislation and Worldwide Relations. As a part of her research, she was taking part in a college alternate program in Taiwan. The college has issued an announcement expressing its deep sorrow over her tragic demise, providing condolences to her household and requesting prayers for her soul.
The Ministry of International Affairs and the Spanish Embassy confirmed Blanca’s demise and mentioned it’s aiding her family members, who’re thought to dwell in Valladolid. “We are able to affirm the tragic demise in an accident of a Spanish vacationer. The Spanish Consulate in Bangkok is involved with the sufferer’s family members and is providing all the mandatory consular help, as is regular in a lot of these circumstances,” the assertion mentioned.
Based on consultants, the elephant’s assault might have been triggered by stress brought on by dwelling and interacting with vacationers outdoors of its pure ecosystem, as reported by newspaper Clarin. In Thailand, washing and bathing with elephants are widespread vacationer actions, which may doubtlessly disrupt the animals’ pure behaviour and trigger them undue stress.
Elephants in Thailand
Thailand is dwelling to a major inhabitants of elephants, with the Division of Nationwide Parks estimating that over 4,000 wild elephants reside in its sanctuaries, parks, and nature reserves. Moreover, there are round 4,000 domesticated elephants, primarily utilized in vacationer exhibits.
Nevertheless, the remedy of those domesticated elephants is a priority. The World Animal Safety Group estimates that 2,798 elephants are held in tourism venues throughout Thailand, typically stored in isolation and compelled to carry out unnatural methods and actions. The group has additionally reported that trainers steadily make use of merciless, punishment-based coaching strategies, together with bodily abuse with sticks or sharp metallic objects.
Notably, Thailand has made important efforts to guard its elephant inhabitants. The nation has established protected areas, such because the Western Forest Complicated, which supplies a habitat for a major variety of wild elephants. Additional, Thailand has applied legal guidelines, together with the Elephant Ivory Tusks Act and the Wildlife Conservation and Safety Act, to safeguard elephant welfare and stop exploitation.
Human-elephant conflicts have been escalating in Thailand, notably since 2000. Based on information from the Thai division of nationwide parks, there have been at the least 227 deaths brought on by wild elephant assaults previously 12 years, together with 39 fatalities in 2024.