**Authorities have charged a mahout for negligence after an elephant gored a young tourist, highlighting ongoing concerns about ethical practices in handling elephants in tourist attractions.**
**Mahout Faces Charges After Spanish Tourist Killed by Elephant in Thailand**
**Mahout Faces Charges After Spanish Tourist Killed by Elephant in Thailand**
**The incident at a popular elephant care center raises alarms about safety in Thailand's elephant tourism industry.**
Thai police have filed charges against mahout Theerayut Inthaphudkij after a tragic incident left a 22-year-old Spanish tourist dead at a southern Thailand elephant sanctuary. Blanca Ojanguren García was reportedly bathing the 45-year-old elephant, Phang Somboon, at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre on December 26 when the animal attacked her. After sustaining a severe head injury from the elephant’s tusk, she later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
Local authorities announced on Monday that Inthaphudkij has been charged with negligence causing death. This incident has reignited longstanding debates around the ethical implications of elephant tourism in Thailand, where nearly 3,000 elephants are kept at various attractions.
Animal rights advocates have been vocal about their concerns, asserting that allowing tourists to bathe elephants disrupts their natural behaviors and poses risks not only to the animals but also to human lives. Peta senior vice president Jason Baker remarked that environments permitting direct interaction with elephants are not true sanctuaries and can compromise the safety of both visitors and animals alike.
Following the incident, experts suggest that the elephant’s aggressive behavior may have stemmed from stress triggered during interactions with tourists. Witnesses indicate that García's boyfriend was present during the attack, which has undoubtedly added to the emotional toll on those involved.
Authorities have previously taken action against mahouts in similar circumstances. In 2017, charges were brought against both an elephant camp owner and a mahout after an elephant killed a tour guide and injured two other tourists in Pattaya. This incident is not isolated; in 2013, a woman was killed after an elephant attacked, leading to more scrutiny on the training and treatment of these majestic animals.
García was a law and international relations student at Spain’s University of Navarra, currently engaged in a student exchange program in Taiwan. Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, confirmed that the Spanish consulate in Bangkok is providing support to García’s grieving family during this tragic time.
