Spanish Tourist Gored by Elephant During Visit to Thailand — Details Here
The 22-year-old was visiting Thailand with her boyfriend when she was killed.
Published Jan. 7 2025, 1:21 p.m. ET
A family is in mourning after a 22-year-old was tragically killed in an accident. The young woman had been visiting Thailand and was taking part in an animal experience at an area sanctuary when she was gored by an elephant.
While witnesses say that first responders were quick to tend to her wounds, they were just too severe for her to be saved.
News of the woman's death has sparked concern and outcry amongst animal rights activists who point out that activities where humans are near wild animals rarely end well for the humans or the animals involved.
You can learn more about the woman killed by an elephant in Thailand below.
A tourist was killed by an elephant in Thailand.
Friends and family members are reeling after Blanca Ojanguren Garcia was killed while on vacation with her boyfriend in southern Thailand on Jan. 3, 2025. According to CNN, the young couple was on a day trip to the center of Koh Yao Yai island when they decided to visit the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center.
During their stop, the pair participated in an elephant bathing experience, which allowed them to get close to the large pachyderm.
According to the BBC, bathing elephants is a highlight for many visitors to Thailand, where the elephant population has steadily declined.
Sadly for Garcia, her turn washing the elephant became deadly when sources told CNN that the creature appeared to "panic" during the bath, fatally piercing the 22-year-old with a tusk in the process.
CNN spoke with the district's chief of police, who says that the owner of the Koh Yao Elephant Care quickly informed the authorities about what had happened. An investigation into the incident remains underway.
The Spanish tourist killed by an elephant isn't the first to die while interacting with wild animals.
While Garcia's family deals with her tragic loss of life, people may find themselves reminded of a similar incident in 2024, where an elephant killed an American tourist while visiting a game preserve in western Zambia. The 79-year-old was charged by an elephant as she took part in a wildlife tour at Kafue National Park.
Both instances serve as a strong reminder of how often human-animal encounters end in tragedy, both for the humans and the animals.
As such, many people call for an end to these types of animal attractions, where people pay money to have close access to wild animals.
New regulations may lead to fewer altercations between animals and humans in the future, which may not only prevent further needless deaths but could also help protect animals from unscrupulous people trying to profit from them while they're in captivity.