A 23-year-old woman was struck by the distressed animal while bathing it at a southern Thailand elephant care centre.

A Spanish tourist lost her life after being struck by an elephant’s trunk while bathing the animal at an elephant sanctuary in southern Thailand, police reported on January 6. The tragic incident occurred at the Koh Yao Elephant Care centre in Phang Nga province, where the 23-year-old woman was hit by the elephant, which was reportedly in a state of distress.

According to local police chief Jaran Bangprasert, the woman was fatally injured during the bathing session. The authorities have already reached out to the Spanish Embassy for confirmation of the victim’s identity. The sanctuary has declined to provide further details about the incident when contacted by AFP.

This unfortunate event adds to a broader concern regarding elephant-related fatalities. In the past 12 years, wild elephants have killed 227 people, including tourists, according to Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. In December 2024, a 49-year-old woman was killed by an elephant at a national park in Loei province, located in northern Thailand.

While interactions between wild elephants and local villagers are relatively common, incidents involving sanctuaries are rare. Bathing elephants is a popular tourist activity in Thailand, where approximately 2,800 elephants are kept for tourism purposes, according to World Animal Protection.

Despite its popularity, the activity has faced criticism from animal rights groups, who argue that it can cause significant distress to the animals. As a result, some sanctuaries in Thailand have chosen not to allow such practices.