Scottish tourist 'killed by elephant'

[Ginjaninja]

A Scottish tourist has reportedly been killed by an elephant while on holiday in Thailand.

The man was on an elephant trek on Koh Samui island with his teenage daughter when he was thrown by the animal, according to local press.

The Bangkok Post said the 36-year-old was trampled on and wounded by the elephant's tusk on Monday afternoon.

The Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and was offering consular assistance to the man's family.

A spokesman said.: "We are offering support to the family of a British national who has sadly died following an incident in Koh Samui, Thailand, and are making contact with the local authorities to seek further information."

The man's daughter is understood to have been treated in hospital.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-35466237


GN.

[StevePIraq]

Absolutely terrible, and will the Thai authorities do anything to stop Elephant trekking and abuse, not a chance all they think of is money

[oakdale160]

I'm sure that the Thai owners will claim that the Elephant was Burmese.

[buksida]

I'm sure that the Thai owners will claim that the Elephant was Burmese.

[europtimiste]

Too easy to accuse the owner or elephant trekkings. Teach first stupid farangs before trekking how they should behave. This Scottish tourist teased the elephant with a banana that he offered to the animal before tooking it back. Try do the same with a dog or a monkey, you will see what will happen.

[dtaai-maai]

Too easy to accuse the owner or elephant trekkings. Teach first stupid farangs before trekking how they should behave. This Scottish tourist teased the elephant with a banana that he offered to the animal before tooking it back. Try do the same with a dog or a monkey, you will see what will happen.

And who should be offering such guidance? Oh yes: "the owner or elephant trekking"...

Where did you see the banana story? Not sure how you could do that from the back of an elephant.

[hhfarang]

This article says the elephant got upset because he didn't want his picture taken... and btw the mahout was from Myanmar...

"Thai elephant gores Scottish tourist to death on trek

BANGKOK (AP) — A Scottish tourist has been gored to death by an elephant that he and his 16-year-old stepdaughter were riding on the resort island of Samui, Thai authorities said Tuesday.

Police Lt. Rotjanart Kiewjan said the animal threw Gareth Crowe and Eilidh Hughes to the ground during a trek on Monday. The elephant then gored Crowe with his tusk and stomped on him.

Thai news reports said the elephant became enraged after its trainer, known as a mahout, climbed off to take a picture of the tourists. Police think hot weather may have disturbed the 13-year-old elephant.

The mahout, who is from Myanmar, was also gored and Hughes was injured from her fall. Both were hospitalized.

There was speculation that the elephant might have been in a state of musth, when it becomes more aggressive during its mating cycle, but Cherdchai Jaroenwech of the Office of Livestock Development said that was not the case.

Cherdchai, who shot the elephant with a tranquilizer dart Monday evening, said it had been taken back to the corral of its trekking company owners, Island Safari, where it was attended to by its usual caretakers and showered constantly to cool off while remaining chained.

He said the elephant, dubbed Rambo but also called by the nickname Golf, will take a 15-day break from work and then be moved to another branch of the trekking company in either Krabi or Phang Nga.

Elephants are Thailand's de facto national animal and were once featured on the country's flag. Their numbers have declined in recent decades as expanding human settlements have reduced their natural habitats. Thailand now has fewer than 3,000 wild elephants and about 4,000 domesticated elephants, according to the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.

The beasts once were used for logging, but deforestation and a subsequent ban on most logging has led to many elephants now being used as tourist attractions."

https://news.yahoo.com/thai-elephant-go ... .html?nf=1

[StevePIraq]

A few years ago my wife and I with my son 18 who was visiting went on a trekking trip in the hills around Phuket.
We had two elephants, wife and I on one, son on the other. The seats if they can be called that were just a padded plank with a butchered car seat belt to hold one in place. Our Mahmout was about mid 30's and when I saw my son's mahmout I asked what was going on, the kid was no more than 13. In the end we accepted and went on the trip, not five minutes into it the sons Elephant went wild, rearing up on it's hind legs then down a slope with my son hanging on for dear life, his 13 year old mahmout was long gone. in the end the Elephant stopped my son thrown off during the race down the hill.
Since then I have strongly advocated against elephant trekking and rides. The animals are abused, beaten and terribly treated and there seems to be no government control or inspections.
NEVER go on Elephant rides or treks, this is animal abuse.

[europtimiste]

dtaai-maai: The banana story was on Thaivisa. About guidance: Should be done by the trekking company of course.

[hhfarang]

"Tourists in Thailand don't know they’re riding killer elephants

BANGKOK, Thailand — On any given day in Thailand, tourists could be paying to climb atop an elephant that has previously trampled or gored a human being. ..."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl ... /80283654/#