Enraged Elephant Kills Tourist

[E-Dork]

These animals shouldn't be paraded around the streets for sure (which they weren't for this tragedy but just emphasizes how dangerous they can be). As has been mentioned before, imagine if this was down Binthabaht!

A BRITISH woman was badly injured and another tourist was killed when elephants went on the rampage in Thailand.

The horror happened as two tour groups riding the animals met head to head on a jungle path.
It is understood that two male elephants then fought over a female one.
A Swiss woman was trampled after being thrown off by one of the males involved.
An English woman - who has not been identified – was reported to have suffered 12 broken ribs in the mayhem at the Khao Sok national park.
Last night she was in intensive care after being taken to a hospital 100 miles away on the holiday island of Phuket.
An Australian woman was also hurt. Her injuries were not known.
A spokesman for Phuket-based Siam Safari who ran one of the tour groups declined to comment.

[PeteC]

More on this......http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... n-thailand

[Takiap]

Very sad indeed, but when you're dealing with such large animal, accidents can and do happen. If and when you decide to go for a ride on one of these, you surely realize there is at least a certain amount of risk involved.......it's just common sense.

In this case, rather than put it down to wild animal behavior, it should be pinned directly on poor planning. After all, all animals (including humans it seems) fight over females, so this sort of scenario should never have been allowed to happen in the first place.

Man has used elephants for centuries already, but even so, bad things happen every once in a while. If treated properly, and with kindness, a domesticated elephant will almost never inflict injury on a human intentionally. What disturbs me though, is not the taming of elephants, but rather when you see one pacing frantically on the end of a 3 to 5 meter long chain.


I myself have been on the back of one several times, and thoroughly enjoyed being so close. I have also ridden one with a Thai present, and the only problem I had was the beast kept stopping for a snack at every tree we passed......lol. Hell, if I had the land, and enough resources, I would keep one, and it would be the happiest elephant in the world.......my favorite animal by far

[kendo]

Very sad indeed, but when you're dealing with such large animal, accidents can and do happen. If and when you decide to go for a ride on one of these, you surely realize there is at least a certain amount of risk involved.......it's just common sense.

Yes so limit the risk factor by not parading them in urban area's.

Kendo.

[Spitfire]

In this case, rather than put it down to wild animal behavior, it should be pinned directly on poor planning. After all, all animals (including humans it seems) fight over females.....

"Nail" and "head" are the words that spring to mind there.

No safety co-ordination/organisation between tour operators and just battling each other in their own small worlds.

Sad tale, and it always surprises me how the average elephant is often treated here, especially the ones walking around the cities on hot asphalt playing a harmonica for sugar cane rewards from tourists, considering it is the national symbol of LOS.

[StevePIraq]

No one is even mentioning the killing at Hua Hin Elephant village 19 December,

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - An enraged bull elephant, thought to be in musth, has trampled his keeper to death in Hua Hin.

Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem

Police reported that on Wednesday, Rat Tajak, 57, was killed by an elephant under his control named Plai Si Dor at a farm in Hua Hin district. The attack was witnessed by many shocked visitors.

Despite being shot with several tranquilizer darts, the elephant kept charging at bystanders and damaged several parked cars and motorcycles, police said. It took handlers more than six hours to calm the frenzied animal down.

Niwat Makluer, 27, a new keeper at the farm, said he was supposed to be the victim's replacement as Rat was due to return to his hometown in Surin, a province in the Northeast famous for training elephants.

The elephant went wild and approached a female elephant, trying to get acquainted with it, Mr Niwat told the police.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/3 ... l-elephant

I have been on elephants many times and mostly enjoyed the days however I have seen so much abuse of elephants by Thai Mahouts I can understand why they sometimes get angry, I decided a long time ago I would never visit pone of these villages again or ride an elephant again.

[johnnyk]

I came up the road that evening and there were soldiers everywhere with torches stopping and detouring people off the Black Mtn road except for those living nearby. The man in the shop managed to communicate that an elephant had stepped on someone's head and killed them. I went out about 3/4 of an hour later and saw a pickup truck parked off the road with a lot of people around it and a sombre atmosphere, was not sure if there was an injured person in or beside the truck. I didn't stop as I had nothing to contribute and no one needed me to poke my nose in.

[StevePIraq]

Do a quick search on Google for "Elephants abused in Thailand" and see the results for your self. Thailand should be ashamed.


You may also like to sign the petition below

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/agains ... -thailand/

[usual suspect]

It's so good to see that the practice of parading the local elephants around the bar-areas of HH on a nightly basis came to an end.
I do not know what finally brought this action to an end, or what party intervened, but happy they're not now being subjected to the lights, music, & disturbing atmosphere of HH's 'Entertainment Zone'.