Spanish student dies after being attacked by elephant in Thailand

[webfact]

Blanca Ojanguren García. Photo: Federación Hípica de Castilla y León/Facebook

 

A Spanish student has died following an encounter with an elephant at a sanctuary in Thailand. Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a 22-year-old who was studying Law and International Relations, tragically lost her life while participating in a bathing activity with an elephant at the Koh Yao sanctuary on Yao Yai Island.

 

The incident took place during what has become a popular tourist attraction in Thailand—elephant bathing. In a sudden turn, the elephant used its trunk to knock Garcia over, resulting in severe injuries. Efforts were made to rush her to a nearby hospital, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

 

Both local Thai police and the sanctuary itself have confirmed the details of the accident, prompting the sanctuary's temporary closure. Initial reports erroneously mentioned that Garcia had been gored, but this was rectified by Spanish news agency EFE, clarifying the nature of what transpired.

 

Present at the incident were around 18 individuals, including Garcia's boyfriend, yet no others were injured. Originally from Valladolid, Garcia was completing her studies through a six-month program in Taiwan, having studied at the University of Navarra. She was on track to finish her undergraduate degree this year.

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been involved, with their consulate in Bangkok maintaining communication with Garcia's family. Her remains have been transported to a hospital in Phuket in preparation for repatriation procedures. In response to the incident, Valladolid Mayor Jesus Julio Carnero expressed his condolences to the family.

 

Thailand is home to roughly 3,500 elephants, with about 2,800 involved in tourist activities, according to animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection. While elephants are generally gentle, they may react if they feel threatened or protective of their young.

 

This incident underscores the need for continued discussions on ethical wildlife tourism and safety measures to prevent similar occurrences. It serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of wildlife behaviour and the importance of ensuring safety for both visitors and animals in tourist interactions, reported Daily Mail Online.

 

-- 2025-01-06

 

 

[Jingthing]

Very tragic.

I wasn't aware before of participating in elephant bathing being a tourist attraction. 

Without knowing the details it seems to me to be rather a questionable one. 

 

[daveAustin]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

While elephants are generally gentle, they may react if they feel threatened or protective of their young.

… or ill treated. On a trek in the north years ago, mahout repeatedly whacking the thing and it just had enough and charged into the jungle with us on its back, knocking into trees and other riders. Pretty scary. Took ages for it to calm down. They’re sensitive beasts, easily spooked. Always weary around them, trunk alone can do huge damage.  
 

What a thing to happen to the young lass. 😢

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Very tragic.

I wasn't aware before of participating in elephant bathing being a tourist attraction. 

Without knowing the details it seems to me to be rather a questionable one. 

Very common in Chiang Mai, foreign women in very small bikinis swimming and washing muddy elephants in the river at Mae Wang almost everyday.

[metisdead]

An off topic post about swimming with dolphins off the coast of Mexico has been removed.

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Reminds me of Sigfried and Roy and their gentle white tiger that took a bite outta one of them guys, also Grizzly Man, that crazy s.o.b. up in Alaska who got eaten alive by a grizzly.

 

You play with fire eventually you gonna get burned.

 

I love elephants, they are beautiful and intelligent but unpredictable.

 

Terribly sad story all round.

 

RIP

[Mr Meeseeks]

Exploiting animals never has a good outcome.

 

RIP to the young lady. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This incident underscores the need for continued discussions on ethical wildlife tourism and safety measures to prevent similar occurrences. It serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of wildlife behaviour and the importance of ensuring safety for both visitors and animals in tourist interactions, reported Daily Mail Online.

 

They can discuss it all they want.

 

They are only interested in profits, which come way before health and safety and the welfare of animals here.

[Yagoda]

RIP.

[Tropicalevo]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

While elephants are generally gentle, they may react if they feel threatened or protective of their young.

 or hungry.

A few folk get injured here where they still do elephant trekking.

The tourist buys a bunch of bananas, offers the elephant one and puts the rest behind their back.

The elephant is not a dumb animal.

It swipes the tourist with its trunk to knock the bunch of bananas out of their hand.

The tourist invariably is injured.

[Nick Carter icp]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Very common in Chiang Mai, foreign women in very small bikinis swimming and washing muddy elephants in the river at Mae Wang almost everyday.

 

   Can you watch the girls for free or do you have to pay to watch them ?

[lordgrinz]

I make it a habit to avoid wild animals, I especially stay far away from any that are larger than I am, and I have a overly healthy respect/fear of primates (monkeys/apes/chimps/etc). Knowing how chimps will attack someone when angry, I don't want to be within a mile of them.

[bkk6060]

My recent experience I was told tourists can no longer ride them. They do let you bathe and feed them.  Very sad looks like a pretty young lady.

[bkk6060]

According to data from the Thai department of national parks, there have been at least 227 deaths caused by wild elephant attacks in the past 12 years, including 39 fatalities in 2024.

 

Just read this.  Wow.

[sikishrory]

How about just leave the elephants alone

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Always weary around them

Yes, I agree, they are tiresome animals.

[hellohello123]

Is it just me, but so much news out of thailand is drama

Tourists getting killed by other tourists

Tourists getting killed by locals

Tourists getting killed by animals

Tourists getting killed by traffic

Tourists getting killed by accidents

 

Paints a poor picture

[ignore it]

Mom always said never bother an animal that is pooping, eating or having sex.

Now you got to add bathing?

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

love elephants, they are beautiful

"Beautiful"?  Huh?  You may like them but, objectively, they are particularly ugly animals.

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Can you watch the girls for free or do you have to pay to watch them ?

 

or can you bathe them?

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, metisdead said:

An off topic post about swimming with dolphins off the coast of Mexico has been removed.

Can imagine, someone talks about elephants and someone else starts talking about dolphins. 😂

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, KireB said:

Taking photos of women in bikinis? I assume you are not a pervert and asked them for permission.

Why would he need to ask permission from people who are cavorting in public?

[Peterphuket]

3 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Reminds me of Sigfried and Roy and their gentle white tiger that took a bite outta one of them guys, also Grizzly Man, that crazy s.o.b. up in Alaska who got eaten alive by a grizzly.

 

You play with fire eventually you gonna get burned.

 

I love elephants, they are beautiful and intelligent but unpredictable.

 

Terribly sad story all round.

 

RIP

How about the Australian guy, Erwin was his name? Also playing with animals, died from a stingray's sting

[Liverpool Lou]

22 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

I make it a habit to avoid wild animals, I especially stay far away from any that are larger than I am, and I have a overly healthy respect/fear of primates (monkeys/apes/chimps/etc). Knowing how chimps will attack someone when angry, I don't want to be within a mile of them.

The elephants in question are not wild, they are domesticated.

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

The elephants in question are not wild, they are domesticated.

 

No such thing, they are wild animals, period!

[Donga]

6 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Is it just me, but so much news out of thailand is drama

Tourists getting killed by other tourists

Tourists getting killed by locals

Tourists getting killed by animals

Tourists getting killed by traffic

Tourists getting killed by accidents

 

Paints a poor picture

That's how News has always been and getting worse.

The incidence is probably decreasing per capita, but the coverage increases.

[Liverpool Lou]

6 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Is it just me, but so much news out of thailand is drama

Tourists getting killed by other tourists

Tourists getting killed by locals

Tourists getting killed by animals

Tourists getting killed by traffic

Tourists getting killed by accidents

 

Paints a poor picture

Yes, it is just you trying hard to paint a poor picture of Thailand by highlighting events that happen so infrequently they're almost irrelevant.   

[BarBoy]

End this barbaric and dangerous activity now!

 

Elephants are wild and unpredictable animals and anyone that pays money to enable this sort of thing deserves everything they get IMO.

 

Same goes for the Tigers & Crocodiles..

[ryandb]

It's very hard to fund the Elephant sancturies without the bathing activities but it should not be done. Elephants should be observed from afar by all tourists. I went to Sri Lanka a decade ago to watch the Gathering we trailed them with a guide from a distance, didn't once feed or interact with them.

[smew]

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, it is just you trying hard to paint a poor picture of Thailand by highlighting events that happen so infrequently they're almost irrelevant.   

No changes will happen Unless issues are highlighted It should never happen in the land of smiles… Soi dogs attracts, double pricing, noisy motorcycles, corrupt police…