In brief
A mahout in Thailand has been charged with negligence after an elephant he tended gored a Spanish tourist, leading to her death. The case highlights growing criticism of the country's elephant tourism practices.
A mahout has been charged in Thailand after a 22-year-old Spanish tourist was fatally gored by an elephant under his care last week. Theerayut Inthaphudkij, 38, is facing accusations of negligence resulting in death, according to local authorities. The tragic incident occurred when Blanca Ojanguren García was bathing the elephant, a 45-year-old female named Phang Somboon, at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre in southern Thailand. During the activity, the elephant attacked, causing García a head injury, from which she later succumbed in the hospital. Her boyfriend witnessed the horrifying event. This tragic incident has reignited discussions about the ethical implications of Thailand's lucrative elephant tourism industry, criticized by animal rights groups for being both unethical and hazardous. Animal activists assert that allowing tourists to bathe elephants disrupts their natural behaviors and increases stress for these creatures. Following the attack, experts voiced concerns that the elephant may have been under duress from tourist interactions. As reported by international charity World Animal Protection, roughly 3,000 elephants are housed within Thailand's tourist attractions. Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have called attention to the risks posed to both humans and elephants during such close encounters. PETA’s senior vice president stressed the inherent dangers in "sanctuaries" that permit such interactions, suggesting they are not true refuges for elephants. This isn't the first instance of negligence charges against mahouts; notable cases include a 2017 incident where a camp owner faced legal actions after an elephant killed a tour guide. García was a law and international relations student from the University of Navarra in Spain and was living in Taiwan as part of a student exchange program. She and her boyfriend arrived in Thailand on December 26, 2024. The Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed that the consulate in Bangkok is providing support to her family amid this tragic event.
