What promised to be an idyllic day of tourism in Thailand turned into a nightmare this Friday. A 22-year-old Spanish woman, Blanca Ojanguren, lost her life after an elephant stabbed her with a horn while she was bathing at Koh Yao Elephant Care, a specific center for activities with these animals located on the island of Yao Yai, as reported by sources from the country’s police and the resort itself.

Phu Kradueng mountain closed after elephant kills tourist

According to the Thai authorities and Koh Yao Elephant Care, the incident occurred on Friday at the elephant center when Blanca and her boyfriend were bathing the elephants. According to the workers of the place, the Spanish woman passed in front of the elephant when the animal struck her with a tusk. She died later as she was unable to recover from her injuries. According to experts consulted by news agencies, the animal could have attacked the young woman because of the stress to which these animals are subjected.

Spanish Foreign Ministry sources said shortly afterwards that the Embassy in Bangkok had confirmed the death of the Spanish tourist. “The Consulate in Bangkok is in contact with the relatives, offering all the necessary consular assistance” as usual in this type of circumstances.

🇹🇭🇪🇸- Elephant sinks tusk into 22yo Spaniard as she washed it. The stress of living at Thai animal centers for tourists is blamed for the death. pic.twitter.com/J6k3hTLKQU

— 66𝕏92 (@XTechPulse) January 4, 2025

The girl from Valladolid also belonged to the university’s Model United Nations (UNMUN), a simulation that seeks to imitate United Nations procedures to find solutions to real problems, and was a certified member of the World Youth Alliance (WYA), a union of young people who give voice to human rights and who work with the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization of American States.

Bathing with elephants or bathing them is very popular among tourists in Asian countries such as Thailand, where the pachyderms also walk with visitors or even participate in shows.

Man Trampled to Death by Wild Elephant in Prachinburi

As for deaths from elephant attacks in Thailand, most incidents tend to involve wild elephants that sometimes cross into human-inhabited areas. There have been 240 deaths from wild elephant attacks in the past 12 years, including 39 fatalities in 2024, according to data from the Department of National Parks.

-Thailand News (TN)