A tragic incident unfolded in Thailand when a 22-year-old tourist was killed by an elephant while on vacation, in a heart-wrenching moment witnessed by her boyfriend.
Blanca Ojanguren García, a law and international relations student from Spain, was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care on Yao Yai Island on January 3 when the animal, a 50-year-old female elephant, suddenly struck her down with its trunk.
Despite efforts to save her, García was rushed to a local hospital, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries.
Her boyfriend was among eight other tourists present at the sanctuary at the time, but none of them were injured when the elephant turned on García.
Local reports initially suggested that the elephant had gored García with one of its tusks, but Spanish news outlet EFE later clarified that this was not the case.
The sanctuary, which houses three elephants, has since closed its doors following the incident, with no set date for reopening. The owner of Koh Yao Elephant Care expressed sorrow over the tragedy.
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García, who came from a military family, had recently completed her professional internships at Spain’s navy headquarters in Madrid.
Her body was taken to a hospital on Phuket Island, where arrangements were made for her repatriation to Spain.
The fatal attack marks the first elephant-related death of 2025, with approximately 240 such incidents reported over the past 12 years, including 39 last year.
Tragically, this incident follows another recent fatality, in which a 49-year-old woman was killed by a wild elephant in Phu Kradueng National Park.
This devastating incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of wild animals, even those typically seen as gentle.