Asian elephant expert laments “elephant habitats” after the tourist was killed I have not visited one in Thailand.
Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, a law student at the University of Navarra, died last week. He was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care when the 50-year-old animal killed him with its tusks, according to Spanish media.
About 18 people were in the sanctuary at the time, including the victim's boyfriend, the company told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. No other passengers were injured, and details of the incident, such as how the animals were caught, are unknown.
But the incident raises questions about whether secure elephant sanctuaries, which lure tourists with promises of getting up close and personal with the animals, are really safe.
Concerns about elephant tourism are rising after a Spanish student was killed by one last week. (iStock/Getty Images)
Duncan McNair, CEO of the London-based charity Save the Asian Elephants, spoke to Fox News Digital about the tragedy and warned that tourists should think twice before visiting.
“'Sanctuary,' which is similar to 'pastures' and 'orphanages,' is a very bad word that often has no meaning or really no accuracy,” McNair said. “The most of the holy places in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Cambodia … have no ethics. They are cruel people, and they do everything for money.”
It is still not known why the elephant attacked García, or how the sanctuary's guardians caught the animal before killing it. But McNair said that while it is possible that the elephant was not aware of its power, it is possible that it became angry at the conditions in which it was kept.
“(Kutu) is an incredibly versatile and durable organ that has many functions,” McNair explained. “An elephant doesn't just suddenly smoke or wave its trunk. … It doesn't look like this was an accident at all.
McNair advises against tourists having close contact with elephants, citing concerns on both sides. (iStock/Getty Images)
“So why did it happen? In fact, because the elephant, which was like all elephants captured for commercial use, was kept in a completely unnatural condition, under extreme pressure .”
He emphasized that although elephants are gentle and intelligent animals, their “self-restraint” does not mean that they are tamed. And they can avoid any threat or stress they see, even a well-intentioned tourist.
“Elephants are wild animals … they are kept in captivity, because they are brutally tamed,” McNair explained. But that doesn't mean they are trained. It just means they are scared for a long time.
“If they see their chance, or if they are too burdened, they will attack and killing.
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Elephant sanctuaries attract tourists with opportunities to handle elephants, but they can cause serious harm. (iStock/Getty Images)
The animal rights advocate said that even though elephants are “amazing and complex creatures,” they will still react violently when threatened.
“They react, sometimes very much, to something flashing in their corner of vision,” McNair explained. “And, so, putting an elephant that has been abused in captivity for maybe decades, next to a young female who probably has little experience with elephants and no proper training, is a complete form of training. tragedy.”
McNair, who also works as a corporate lawyer, also noted that the mistreatment of elephants begins before the animals enter the sanctuary. Elephants are often taken by poachers who commit atrocities ranging from killing mothers in front of their children to repeatedly butchering baby elephants.
Elephants, although gentle, are dangerous to humans when abused. (iStock/Getty Images)
“With elephants that have been abused and abused for use in tourism, they are very dangerous. … Not only are these activities very dangerous for elephants, they are very dangerous for people,” he said.
Through Save the Asian Elephants, McNair is advocating for legislation to end animal abuse, such as the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act passed by the British Parliament in 2023. This work has also recently earned him a name his as a law enforcement officer. Legal Hero of the Year 2024 by the Law Society of England and Wales.
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Now, he and other animal advocates are scrutinizing tour companies that promote the unethical treatment of elephants. Some sanctuaries treat elephants in poor ways, McNair said, and advised that tourists do research before booking their trips for their own safety and the safety of the elephants.
“(We want to) try to move the animal tourism market from cruelty to ethics,” McNair explained. “That's the real goal, not to shut down travel companies, nothing like that. It's to help animals and to help people who want to make money from animal tourism. … That's fine, but be and behavior about it.”
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