Sky News reported the tragic death of Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, a 22-year-old Spanish tourist, who was fatally injured by an elephant while bathing it on Koh Yao, Thailand.
Garcia, a student, was visiting Koh Yao with her boyfriend. While both were bathing an elephant, Garcia walked in front of the animal, which then gored her with its tusk. According to the elephant care center on Koh Yao, Garcia succumbed to her injuries shortly after the incident.
Pinoalbar Development School, her former school, expressed condolences, stating she would always be remembered fondly.
Experts noted that the elephant’s behavior may have been caused by stress due to its living conditions and interactions with tourists. Bathing elephants is a popular activity offered by some elephant care centers in Thailand. The Koh Yao center, which promotes "responsible and ethical interactions with elephants," stated online that they avoid using hooks or controlling their elephants forcefully.
Sky News further highlighted that most elephant-related incidents typically involve wild elephants, which are sometimes forced into human-inhabited areas due to habitat loss. Data from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation shows that 240 people have died from wild elephant attacks over the past 12 years, including 39 fatalities in 2024 alone.