A Spanish tourist was killed by an elephant she was bathing at a sanctuary in southern Thailand, police said on Monday.
Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, a student from Valladolid, was visiting the island of Yao Yai with her boyfriend on Friday when she was attacked by the elephant.
The couple were washing one of the animals at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre when she was gored, causing an injury from which she later died.
The elephant likely grew stressed or panicked from interacting with visitors outside its ecosystem, experts told local reporters.
Spain’s foreign ministry and its embassy in Bangkok confirmed García’s death.
“We can confirm the tragic death in an accident of a Spanish tourist,” the embassy said in a statement. “The Spanish consulate in Bangkok is in contact with the victim’s relatives and offering all the necessary consular assistance, as is normal in these types of circumstances.”
García studied at the University of Navarra but was living in Taiwan under an Erasmus academic exchange programme. She had travelled to Thailand as a tourist with her partner, an infantry cadet from Oviedo in Spain, according to The Telegraph.
She was taking part in an elephant bathing session, a popular tourist activity in Thailand, which allows visitors to interact with wildlife.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation estimates that there are over 4,000 wild elephants in the country, living in sanctuaries, reserves and national parks.
The department has recorded at least 227 deaths from elephant attacks over the last 12 years, with 39 fatalities in 2024 alone.
World Animal Protection estimates that around 2,800 elephants in Thailand are held for tourism purposes. The charity has raised concerns over the treatment of such elephants, which are often kept in isolation, chained and made to perform tricks and other activities. It has alleged that the trainers often use methods involving hitting and lashing of the elephants.
The Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre states on its website that it is committed to “providing responsible and ethical interactions with elephants”. It claims it does not “control” or “use a hook on our elephants”.
The Independent has reached out to the centre for a comment.
In December, a 49-year-old woman was killed while taking a walk at the Phu Luang Wildlife Research Station in Loei. The park was temporarily closed to ensure the safety of visitors but has since been opened.