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A wild male elephant fatally gored a tourist in central Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park on Monday, marking the third death linked to the same animal. The 65-year-old tourist from Lopburi Province was out for his morning walk with his wife when he was trampled by an elephant named Oyewan, according to park director Chaiya Huayhongthong. His wife was able to run to safety as rangers startled the elephant away.
“This was the third person Oyewan has killed,” Chaiya explained, noting that the elephant may have been responsible for several other unexplained fatalities. Officials are scheduled to meet on Friday to determine whether to relocate Oyewan or implement behavioral modifications.
Since 2012, over 220 individuals, including tourists, have lost their lives to wild elephants. The population of wild elephants in Thailand increased from 334 in 2015 to nearly 800 last year, prompting authorities to administer contraceptive vaccines to females to curb rapid growth.
Last January, an elephant killed a Spanish tourist while she was bathing with the animal at a sanctuary in southern Thailand. In December 2024, another tourist was killed by an elephant at a park in Loei Province.
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