Wild elephant kills tourist in Thailand national park

BANGKOK: A wild bull elephant killed a tourist in central Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park on Monday, marking the third fatal incident linked to the same animal, a park official said.

The victim, a 65-year-old Thai tourist from Lopburi province, was out for a morning walk with his wife when he was trampled to death by an elephant named Oyewan, according to national park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong.

Chaiya said the victim’s wife managed to escape after park rangers intervened and scared the animal away.

“He was the third person killed by Oyewan,” Chaiya said, adding that the elephant may also be responsible for several other unsolved deaths.

Authorities are expected to meet on Friday to decide the fate of the elephant, with options including relocation or behavioural intervention, the park chief said.

According to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, more than 220 people, including tourists, have been killed by wild elephants since 2012.

Wild elephant numbers in Thailand have risen sharply, increasing from 334 in 2015 to nearly 800 last year, prompting authorities to introduce contraceptive vaccines for female elephants to curb population growth.

Earlier incidents include the killing of a Spanish tourist at an elephant sanctuary in southern Thailand in January last year, and another tourist death at a national park in northern Thailand’s Loei province in December 2024.