Mahout killed as he tried to give a shower to a rogue elephant in Krabi

[webfact]

A mahout was killed as he tried to give a shower to a rogue elephant



KRABI: -- A mahout was fatally trampled at an elephant camp in Krabi province on Saturday as he was taking a rogue elephant for a shower out of his sympathy.

Another mahout, Mr Prasert Raksakit, told Krabi Muang district police, that he and the victim, Mr Anantamek Thongtae, were taking the bull elephant, Seedor Nakhon, for a shower because the latter felt sorry for the pachyderm as it was chained and did not have a shower for several days.

Prasert said he rode on the back of the 12-year old elephant while Anantamek was about to unchain the elephant. However, the beast suddenly went berserk, grabbed Anantamek with its trunk and slammed him on the ground before trampling upon him.

Other mahouts at the elephant camp rushed to the rescue of Anantamek and managed to rush him to the district hospital where he was
pronounced dead shortly afterward.

Police who later arrived at the scene sought the help of a veterinarian to subdue the elephant with a tranquilizer dart.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/152766


-- Thai PBS 2016-02-29

[ezzra]

So many things wrong with this article, chained for days, wild, rouge and very angry bull elephant that

hasn't been allowed access to water for some time, a misguided mahout who approaches said angry bull

wanting to 'help'... I know if I were that elephant, I'd probably feel and done the same as that poor beast felt

and did........

Edited February 29, 2016 by ezzra

[jacko45k]

It has been chained up and seemingly unattended for several days and they were surprised it was angry.

[12DrinkMore]

They should ban these "elephant rides for tourists".

Too much cruelty in training the young elephants, and then they spend the rest of their lives chained to a post except for the odd couple of hours with stupid tourists on their backs.

[springheeled jack]

I wonder why the elephant picked on this poor chap I think this chap must have mistreated the beast at sometime or other .

[BirdsandBooze]

Could have been in musth. Bull elephants are often chained to an immovable object during this dangerous period. Even placid bulls can become aggressive towards people during this time. Living free in the wild is what is best for these animals

[pumpuy]

every human activity that involves the torture of animals should be banned, and punished by law .

So many things wrong with this article, chained for days, wild, rouge and very angry bull elephant that

hasn't been allowed access to water for some time, a misguided mahout who approaches said angry bull

wanting to 'help'... I know if I were that elephant, I'd probably feel and done the same as that poor beast felt

and did........

[razer]

I think there is enough evidence that animals bond with humans when treated with kindness and dignity.

Like humans, animals will turn on those who torture and abuse them.

Let's clean-up the mahout cruelty to elephants.

[Moonsterk]

Not at all unhappy to hear this story except the unfortunate elephant will likely end up in worse environment.

Anyone with a grain of humanity would know instinctively chaining up to a tree is no way to keep an animal designed by nature to walk all day long. Nothing about Thailand angers and disgusts me more that this acceptable attitude toward exploitation of animals.

[Redline]

Elephants, tigers, snakes....are all wild animals. Expect them to react unpredictably. Leave them alone, and don't cage and train them.

[Johpa]

They should ban these "elephant rides for tourists".

Too much cruelty in training the young elephants, and then they spend the rest of their lives chained to a post except for the odd couple of hours with stupid tourists on their backs.

They should be banning the second and third tier elephant camps in places like Krabi and Phuket.

Up north most elephants are not chained to a post but are allowed to forage in the forest although they remain hobbled so as not to wander too far on to cultivated lands.

[pattayahenry]

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

A musth elephant, wild or domesticated, is extremely dangerous to both humans and other elephants

in most Western nations, the approved method in these countries is to strictly isolate the elephant in a highly fortified secure pen for a period ranging from 1 to 2 months until the elephant emerges from musth on its own.

Indian mahouts decry this method as more cruel than simply starving/dehydrating the animal for a week, upon which it recovers and can be safely reunited with the herd.

[rodcourt49]

So many things wrong with this article, chained for days, wild, rouge and very angry bull elephant that

hasn't been allowed access to water for some time, a misguided mahout who approaches said angry bull

wanting to 'help'... I know if I were that elephant, I'd probably feel and done the same as that poor beast felt

and did........

..after all..just doing what comes naturally.

[cumgranosalum]

So many things wrong with this article, chained for days, wild, rouge and very angry bull elephant that

hasn't been allowed access to water for some time, a misguided mahout who approaches said angry bull

wanting to 'help'... I know if I were that elephant, I'd probably feel and done the same as that poor beast felt

and did........

"rouge and very angry" - fancy that a gay elephant!

[cumgranosalum]

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

A musth elephant, wild or domesticated, is extremely dangerous to both humans and other elephants

in most Western nations, the approved method in these countries is to strictly isolate the elephant in a highly fortified secure pen for a period ranging from 1 to 2 months until the elephant emerges from musth on its own.

Indian mahouts decry this method as more cruel than simply starving/dehydrating the animal for a week, upon which it recovers and can be safely reunited with the herd.

Does anyone say the animal was in musth?

[pattayahenry]

only in musth an elefant behaves like this, and only in musth they will deliberatly dehydrate him. the mahot called another one, so obviously he was not sure, if the musth is already over.

[cumgranosalum]

only in musth an elefant behaves like this, and only in musth they will deliberatly dehydrate him. the mahot called another one, so obviously he was not sure, if the musth is already over.

No this is a total misconception. Elephants are broken in a very cruel way and the animals are both large and quite unpredictable.....you might also notice that it isn't just makes that go rogue.

Hoiw old is this elephant?

Age is important for whether or not they have musth.

Also...one would like to know if a dominant female was present. Elephants are matriarchic by nature and the absence of a dominant female can lead to bad behaviour in young makes...who don't go into musth. Musth ius now not believed to have anything to do directky with reproduction.