Tragic death of spanish tourist in thailand: elephant encounter turns deadly

Blanca Ojanguren García was gored to death by an elephant she was washing: the animal panicked and reacted to this activity often proposed to tourists

A 22-year-old Spanish tourist, Blanca Ojanguren García, died after an elephant knocked her down at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre in Phang Nga province, Thailand. The incident happened while the victim was washing the elephant as part of the activity provided by the center; the animal was reportedly in a very stressed state and gored her to death.

Local authorities confirmed the tragic event that happened last Friday and pointed out the probable panic behavior by the elephant. She was a law and international relations student at the University of Navarra in Spain and had been in Asia on a student exchange program in Taiwan.

It was during one of those tourist visits to Thailand that she and her boyfriend joined one of the most popular activities at the center: bathing elephants. The serene experience turned out to be a nightmare, right in front of her partner and other onlookers.

These tourist packages stress animals

Spanish authorities, through the consulate in Bangkok, are in support of Blanca’s family. Scores of messages of condolences poured in from Spain, including one from the mayor of Valladolid, who shared his message on social media.

The Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre is one of many across Thailand offering tourists packages that allow visitors to get up close to the animals, feeding and washing them.

Such activities have more often been condemned by animal rights activists. Organizations like World Animal Protection argue that such interactions can cause massive stress to elephants, disrupt their natural behaviors, and endanger both the animals and tourists.

Thailand is famous for its elephants, with more than 4,000 wild and a similar number in captivity-many of which have been part of the tourism industry. While incidents with wild elephants are common, the accidents involving captive elephants and tourists at sanctuaries have been rare. The tragic episode serves as a reminder of the intrinsic dangers of such activities and refuels debates on improving elephant welfare and reviewing tourism practices that involve these majestic creatures.