A 22-year-old Spanish tourist tragically lost her life after an elephant she was bathing attacked her in Thailand.
Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a student, was visiting Yao Yai Island in southwestern Thailand with her boyfriend when the incident occurred, as reported by local media.
While bathing an elephant, Ms. Garcia moved in front of the animal, which then fatally gored her with its tusk, according to an employee at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre speaking to EFE. She later succumbed to her injuries.
Pinoalbar Development School, where Ms. Garcia had studied, expressed profound shock over her demise.
“Always in our hearts, dear Blanca,” the school shared in a tribute on social media.
Local experts suggest that the elephant might have been stressed by the demands of interacting with tourists.
Elephant bathing is a common attraction at many of Thailand’s elephant centers, where the animals are also often made to perform for spectators.
The Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre states on its website that it ensures responsible and ethical interactions with elephants, avoiding the use of hooks or other controlling devices.
Most such incidents involve wild elephants, which can encroach on human settlements due to shrinking natural habitats.
Over the last 12 years, wild elephant attacks have led to 240 fatalities in Thailand, according to data from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. In 2024 alone, there were 39 recorded deaths.
Thailand’s national parks, sanctuaries, and nature reserves are home to approximately 4,000 wild elephants.
