Spanish Tourist Killed by Stressed Elephant at Thai Sanctuary

Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, was fatally struck by an elephant while bathing the animal at a care center on Koh Yao Yai Island.

The incident occurred at Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre, where García was visiting with her boyfriend during a vacation in Thailand.
Experts suggest the 50-year-old elephant, kept in captivity, likely acted out due to stress from frequent tourist interactions outside its natural habitat.
García, a law and international relations student from Spain's University of Navarra, was living in Taiwan on an exchange program at the time of her death.
The elephant sanctuary has temporarily closed following the fatality, and the Spanish consulate in Bangkok is assisting García’s family.
Animal welfare organizations have long criticized tourist activities like elephant bathing, citing risks to both humans and the animals' well-being.