A wild bull elephant killed a vacationer in central Thailand’s Khao Yai Nationwide Park on Monday, a park official mentioned, the third fatality linked to the identical animal.
The 65-year-old Thai vacationer from Lopburi province was out for a morning stroll together with his spouse when he was trampled to loss of life by an elephant named Oyewan, nationwide park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong informed AFP.
His spouse managed to flee after park rangers scared the animal away, Chaiya mentioned.
“He was the third particular person killed by Oyewan,” he mentioned, including that the wild bull elephant might have been accountable for a number of extra deaths that stay unsolved.
Chaiya mentioned authorities will meet on Friday to resolve what to do with the elephant.
“We’ll in all probability resolve to relocate him or change his conduct,” he mentioned, with out elaborating.
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Greater than 220 individuals, together with vacationers, have been killed by wild elephants since 2012, in keeping with the Division of Nationwide Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Wild elephant numbers in Thailand rose from 334 in 2015 to nearly 800 final yr, prompting authorities to manage contraceptive vaccines to feminine animals in an effort to manage their ballooning inhabitants.
An elephant killed a Spanish vacationer whereas she was bathing the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand in January final yr.
One other vacationer was killed by an elephant at a nationwide park in Loei province in northern Thailand in December 2024.
There have been lethal elephant assaults in different elements of the world not too long ago.
Final month, officers in India mentioned a rampaging wild elephant was blamed for killing at the very least 20 individuals and injuring 15 others within the forests of Jharkhand.
Final July, two ladies from the U.Ok. and New Zealand have been killed by an elephant whereas on a strolling safari in Zambia.
In April 2025, officers in Kenya mentioned a 54-year-old man was killed by an elephant within the central a part of the nation.
In January final yr, a vacationer was killed by an elephant in South Africa’s well-known Kruger Park.
