Elephant with Russian tourists on the back kills mahout in Phang Nga province

[webfact]

Bull elephant in musth kills mahout with tourists on the back

PHANG NGA: -- A Russian tourist and her 8-year-old daughter were safely rescued from the back of a male elephant which went rampage and killed one mahout in Phang Nga province yesterday

The incident happened at Puvara Tour elephant camp which offers elephant rides for visitors in Tambon Nop Pring of Muang district on Sunday.

Police said Sook Submark, 60, was steering 18-year-old bull elephant Plai Meow across a canal on a forest tour with the Russian mother and her daughter on the back.

The jumbo, who was in musth, however didn’t listen to the mahout, and went wild.

It trampled Sook to death and ran into the wilds, carrying the tourists.

A rescue team of mahouts, police and livestock officials later located the elephant in a palm oil plantation at an adjacent resort, about three kilometres from where Sook was killed.

The team advised the tourists to stay calm to avoid provoking the elephant and causing him to run deeper into the woods. They then shot the animal with two anaesthetic darts.

Another Puvara mahout, who is also close to Plai Meow, managed to jump from a slope and landed on his neck.

He was able to control him and let the two tourists safely jump down from the elephant’s back.

Puvara manager Waraphorn Kasetkararn said Sook and his family had brought Plai Meow, one of seven elephants at the camp, to work with her two years ago. The pachyderm was clever and playful and never hurt anyone.

But Panida, the daughter of the killed mahout, said she warned her father not to take the jumbo out as last month it was in musth and was chained to a tree along with another bull elephant which also was in musth, but he didn’t listen.

She said normally her father would be on the back of the elephant and didn’t come down if it went wild.
But he came down this time and was trampled to death.

She said her family raised the bull elephant since it was a baby.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bull-elephant-musth-kills-mahout-tourists-back

-- Thai PBS 2014-11-17

[Briggsy]

I wonder if the Russians got a refund. You know, for endangering the life of an 8-year-old for starters.

[siampolee]

The jumbo, who was in musth, however didn’t listen to the mahout, and went wild.

Considering that But Panida, the daughter of the killed mahout, said she warned her father not to take the jumbo out as last month it was in musth and was chained to a tree along with another bull elephant which also was in musth, but he didn’t listen.

The incident happened at Puvara Tour elephant camp which offers elephant rides for visitors in Tambon Nop Pring of Muang district on Sunday.

Yet again we see the total disregard for safety and a total lack of common sense in the pursuit of money ,the end result being a tragic death and no doubt an indelible trauma memory in the minds of the two tourists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musth

Edited November 17, 2014 by siampolee

[NeverSure]

This is an absolutely horrible and terrifying thing for everyone involved.

RIP and condolences to the family.

[craigt3365]

I was in Samui several years ago and saw an elephant with 2 people on the back just dart right off into the jungle at high speed. I was on a scooter and couldn't stop, but always hoped the tourists were OK.

Dangerous beasts to ride.

[Costas2008]

They are still playing and interfering with wild life.

Will they ever learn?

Doubt it.

RIP, Sook Submark.

Another unnecessary death caused not by the elephant but the people that want to make money from them.

[iReason]

The beast finally had enough of being chained to trees, tortured, beaten and pierced with sharp metal claws.

Som namm naa to these savages.

[delgarcon]

"But Panida, the daughter of the killed mahout, said she warned her father not to take the jumbo out as last month it was in musth and was chained to a tree along with another bull elephant which also was in musth, but he didn’t listen."

At least the victim wasn't an innocent tourist this time and I can't feel sorry for him after reading the following.

For those of you, who like me, no nothing about elephant behaviour, this is Wikipedia's explanation of musth. You will note that "even the most placid elephants become highly violent toward humans and other elephants during musth"

Musth or must /ˈmʌst/ is a periodic condition in bull (male) elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior and accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones. Testosterone levels in an elephant in musth can be as much as 60 times greater than in the same elephant at other times. However, whether this hormonal surge is the sole cause of musth, or merely a contributing factor, is unknown; scientific investigation of musth is problematic because even the most placid elephants become highly violent toward humans and other elephants during musth, requiring segregation and isolation until they recover.

Time they shut these places down, or at least make sure that they are run by people who understand elephants and know how to treat them.

[Just1Voice]

NO elephant in Thailand should be "owned" by anyone. These magnificent creatures should be FREE and PROTECTED. But, that's not going to happen as long as there is a baht to be made.

[Pinot]

Don't ride elephants. Make no mistake about it, it's animal cruelty. Find some other way to blow money.

[Traveller2000]

Totally agree, don't ride on elephant

[Torrens54]

Don't try to tell a Thai ANYTHING. They already know EVERYTHING....just ask my wife!

[lust]

I think this story is much funnier in my head than the actual events that have occurred.

[stopthegreed]

its simple really. The tourists just say no. Thats it, they are closed down, and have to find another way to make the tourists money.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I wonder if the Russians got a refund. You know, for endangering the life of an 8-year-old for starters.

Refund? Why? Experience of a lifetime!

[Suradit69]

Don't try to tell a Thai ANYTHING. They already know EVERYTHING....just ask my wife!

I thought Thai Visa posters and farang generally knew everything, especially about Thais and Thailand, with or without evidence or knowledge about the topic ... I suspect your wife would agree.

[fxe1200]

Don't try to tell a Thai ANYTHING. They already know EVERYTHING....just ask my wife!

Widespread in Thailand, one can call it almost a disease. Here is the answer to this typical behaving:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

[MexicanFarang]

Strike three and you're mahout...

[Beetlejuice]

Has anyone ever witnessed the brutal ways these elephants are treated?

It is no wonder that these animals sometimes lose it and go crazy. Tourists should boycott these institutions of brutality and suffering, stop fuelling this animal cruelty for entertainment and profits and put these outfits out of business.

The tourists are as much to blame as are those who run these businesses. It`s all very simple, no tourists and these businesses will cease to exist and the elephants returned to the wild and own environments where they belong.

[Docno]

Surprising this doesn't happen more often. These are highly intelligent animals who will only tolerate so much abuse (possibly the origin of the phrase, an elephant never forgets). There have been numerous instances of circus elephants attacking their handlers in the west (there's a hard-to-watch video of one particular rampage in Honolulu a few years ago), and wild elephants frequently cause damage and take lives in India. These are not animals to mess with. Especially when in musth.

[Ulic]

Don't ride elephants. Make no mistake about it, it's animal cruelty. Find some other way to blow money.

Also, don't go to zoos, don't go to dolphin/Sea World/Marine Land type shows, don't go th Tiger parks. Don't have you photo taken

with exotic animals an on Bangala Road/ Walking Street etc....

[SRC]

The beast finally had enough of being chained to trees, tortured, beaten and pierced with sharp metal claws.

Som namm naa to these savages.

Amen. And I'm not religeous. I'm not there in Thailand yet but will be next year. I hope to live there for awhile and my plans include volunteering at an elephant reserve. These reserves might be among the only places left for elephants to survive. I'm not looking forward to seeing animal cruelty but it's not my world or my culture. I will enjoy what I can and if there is anything I can do to help prevent the cruelty, I will. But I certainly won't judge. Peace.

[balo]

He knew the dangers , that the elephant was in musth, but money is more important than anything in Thailand , the health of an elephant means nothing to them.

[Pigdog474]

Has anyone ever witnessed the brutal ways these elephants are treated?

It is no wonder that these animals sometimes lose it and go crazy. Tourists should boycott these institutions of brutality and suffering, stop fuelling this animal cruelty for entertainment and profits and put these outfits out of business.

The tourists are as much to blame as are those who run these businesses. It`s all very simple, no tourists and these businesses will cease to exist and the elephants returned to the wild and own environments where they belong.

I have to agree with you that tourists are partly at fault, The first year I spent here in Thailand, I along with my Thai wife wanted to enjoy the experience but after one ride and watching the handler and how cruel he was to the animal, we said never again and advise friends to exclude Elephant riding. I'm only surprised that more handlers (mahouts) aren't killed.

[stevenl]

Has anyone ever witnessed the brutal ways these elephants are treated?

It is no wonder that these animals sometimes lose it and go crazy. Tourists should boycott these institutions of brutality and suffering, stop fuelling this animal cruelty for entertainment and profits and put these outfits out of business.

The tourists are as much to blame as are those who run these businesses. It`s all very simple, no tourists and these businesses will cease to exist and the elephants returned to the wild and own environments where they belong.

I have to agree with you that tourists are partly at fault, The first year I spent here in Thailand, I along with my Thai wife wanted to enjoy the experience but after one ride and watching the handler and how cruel he was to the animal, we said never again and advise friends to exclude Elephant riding. I'm only surprised that more handlers (mahouts) aren't killed.

Apparently another one this morning.

[paz]

I had read many stories about crazed elephants, but for the first time I've learned about musth. It explains a lot.

[wooloomooloo]

The tourists are as much to blame as are those who run these businesses.

There are those tourists, and is well documented, that have been gored and trampled to death watching these sleazy shows.

If you want to experience something a little safer, then patronise an elephant sanctuary.

[maidee]

a ride never to remember ...

elephants, the jetski's of the north

[Rooney860]

Should trample all the cruel bastards!!!