Wild elephant kills 69-year-old tourist exercising near his camp at Thailand national park

The bull elephant is now linked to three fatalities

A wild bull elephant killed a tourist exercising near his tent on Monday at a national park in Thailand, making him the third victim of the animal.

The man, identified as Jirathachai Jiraphatboonyathorn from Muang district of Lop Buri, was exercising metres away from his camp at the Khao Yai National Park with his wife at about 5.30am when he encountered Phlai Oiwan, a bull elephant feeding outside his forest boundary.

The elephant charged at the man, grabbing him by its trunk and slamming him to the ground, as the other campers watched it in horror. Jirathachai’s wife managed to get away but he died on the spot, reported The Nation.

The attack occurred at the campground of the Kho Yor 4 (Khlong Pla Kang) campground of the national park in Wang Nam Khieo district.

According to a park ranger, the elephant has previously killed two local residents, reported the Bankok Post. The newspaper said Jirathachai was 69 year old. The timeline of the last two fatal encounters is unclear, with officials suspecting that the elephant might be involved in other incidents as well.

Wanchai Kaenchantuek, the head of the Khao Yai 4 (Khlong Pla Kang) park protection unit, said he heard the elephant and cries for help. When he rushed to check, he found the victim and alerted the relevant officials, reported The Nation.

A herd of wild elephant in Thailand's Trat province (Thailand's wildlife conservation)

The body was sent to a local hospital for postmortem. Park officials and regional protected-area office are coordinating with relevant agencies to provide assistance to the family and consider compensation under government rules.

Chaiya Huayhongthong, chief of the national park, told AFP that the officials will meet on Friday to decide what to do with the animal. “We will probably decide to relocate him or change his behaviour," he told the news agency.

The forest officials have meanwhile, ordered an increase in patrolling and monitoring activity, as they urged the tourists to exercise caution.

According to the country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant conservation, more than 200 people have been killed by elephants since 2012. Thailand’s elephant population has seen a dramatic surge from 334 in 2015 to 800 last year, prompting officials to administer contraceptives in a bid to contain the size, reported AFP.

Last year, a Spanish tourist was killed by an elephant she was bathing at a sanctuary in southern Thailand. Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, a student from Valladolid, was visiting the island of Yao Yai with her boyfriend on Friday when she was attacked by the elephant. And in 2024 a visitor was killed by a wild elephant at the Phu Kradueng national park in the Loei province.

The 49-year-old Thai woman, identified only as Jeeranan from Chachoengsao, was reportedly walking along a trail to the Phen Phop Mai waterfall inside the park when she was attacked by the elephant.