An Asian elephant mauled a young woman to death at a sanctuary in Thailand on Friday after it made a mistake while she was bathing, according to authorities.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported over the weekend that 22-year-old Spanish national Blanca Ojanguren was visiting Koh Yao elephant care on Yao Yai island with her boyfriend at the time of the incident. He studied law at the University of Navarra at that time.
Koh Yao Elephant Care told the Spanish outlet that a 50-year-old elephant pushed Ojanguren with its trunk while she was being bathed, causing a fatal blow. There were about 18 people in the sanctuary at the time, including the victim’s boyfriend.
The owner of the sanctuary said the tourist was taken to a local hospital where he later died. The business closed temporarily as a result.
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Blanca Ojanguren, 22, was visiting Koh Yao elephant care on Yao Yai island at the time of her death. (Equestrian Federation of Castilla y Leon via Facebook)
Experts told Argentine newspaper Clarín that the elephant was likely stressed from interacting with tourists outside its natural habitat, but authorities have not released details about what caused the attack.
According to its booking website, Koh Yao Elephant Care offers tourist packages ranging from $50 to $85 USD. The company offered two-hour sessions with the elephants that included activities ranging from cooking classes to kayak sessions.
“Visitors often have the opportunity to join guided tours led by knowledgeable staff who educate guests about elephant behavior, biology, and the mission of the sanctuary,” the website reads. “This experience allows for a close encounter with these magnificent animals while respecting their well-being.”
Elephants, which are extremely gentle and intelligent animals, have been known to sometimes kill humans when they are in physical and psychological distress. In 2022, an Asian elephant in Thailand’s Phang Nga province tore its trainer in half with its tusks.
Officials later learned that the elephant’s handler had asked it to carry wood in a rubber plantation in hot weather, causing the animal to become overwhelmed.
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Elephants Boon Thong, Ronaldo and his mother, Lersu, stand on a hill near Mae Sapok village in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on July 21, 2020. (Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
At the time, Save the Asian Elephants CEO Duncan McNair told Newsweek that elephants are vulnerable to abuse and can become stressed by human behavior.
,[It] “This is another stark reminder that Asian elephants are and always will be wild animals who can attack and kill if mistreated or overly stressed by humans,” McNair said.
In zoos in the United States, visitors and most staff members are generally prohibited from touching elephants. But elephant sanctuaries in Thailand lure tourists with the promise of close interactions with the animals.
According to the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the quality of animal sanctuaries, including elephant sanctuaries, varies widely.
The site reads, “This is a poorly regulated industry, with facilities that keep animals in deplorable conditions far worse than those of the highest quality that could identify themselves.” “For anyone investing in the welfare of captive animals, there is a need to isolate the best sanctuaries and rescues to determine where funds will be best invested, where there is the greatest need for help, who Provides a model to follow and which can be turned to in times of crisis.”
Asian elephants are gentle animals but are still capable of killing humans in some situations. (iStock)
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Koh Yao Elephant Care did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital contacted wildlife experts for more information.
