itstargetnews
Asian elephant experts sound alarm over ‘elephant sanctuaries’ tourist killed While visiting a friend in Thailand.
Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, a student at the University of Navarra’s Faculty of Law, died last week. According to Spanish media reports, she was bathing an elephant at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center when the 50-year-old elephant killed her with its trunk.
The company told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that around 18 people were at the shelter at the time, including the victim’s boyfriend. No other tourists were injured and details about the incident, such as how the animals were treated, remain unknown.
But the incident raises questions about the safety of elephant sanctuaries, which lure visitors with the promise of close encounters with elephants.
Concerns about elephant tourism have grown after a Spanish student was killed by an elephant last week. (iStock/Getty Images)
Duncan McNair, chief executive of London Charity save asian elephants, Fox News Digital spoke about the tragedy and warned tourists they should think twice before visiting.
“‘Asylum,’ kind of like ‘asylum’ and ‘orphanage,’ is a very offensive term that often means nothing or certainly lacks accuracy,” McNair said. “this The vast majority of shelters in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Cambodia…are unethical. They are cruel and they do it all for money. “
It’s unclear why the elephant attacked Garcia or how the sanctuary’s managers treated the elephant before killing it. But McNair said that while an elephant may not be aware of its power, it is more likely to lash out in its enclosure.
“(The torso) is an extremely diverse and durable multipurpose organ,” McNair explains. “Elephants don’t randomly lash out or wiggle their trunks… There’s absolutely no way this was an accident.
McNair advises visitors not to have close encounters with elephants, citing concerns on both sides. (iStock/Getty Images)
“So why did this happen? Because, of course, this elephant, like almost all elephants kept in captivity for commercial exploitation, was in a completely unnatural state and was under extreme stress.”
He stressed that while elephants are docile, intelligent animals, their “calmness” does not mean they are tame. They can lash out at any threat or pressure they perceive, even well-meaning tourists.
“Elephants are wild animals…they are kept in captivity and treated cruelly,” McNair explained. “But that doesn’t mean they’re tamed. It just means they were scared for a period of time.
“If they see an opportunity, or the pressure is too much, they will attack and kill. “
Click here to subscribe to our lifestyle newsletter
Elephant sanctuaries attract visitors with the opportunity to interact with elephants, but they can also pose serious risks. (iStock/Getty Images)
The animal rights advocate noted that while elephants are “wonderful and complex” herbivores, they can still react aggressively when they are threatened.
“When something flashes across their vision, they react, sometimes in extreme ways,” McNair explains. “So to put an elephant that may have been abused for decades and put it together with a young woman who probably doesn’t know much about elephants and hasn’t had the proper training is an absolute disaster.”
McNair, who is also the company’s attorney, also noted that the abuse of elephants begins before they even set foot in the reserve. Elephants are often snatched by poachers, who commit atrocities including killing elephant mothers in front of their children and repeatedly stabbing calves into submission.
Elephants, although gentle, can be dangerous to humans when mistreated. (iStock/Getty Images)
“Elephants are cruelly treated and abused in the tourism industry and they are extremely dangerous… These activities are not only catastrophic for elephants but also fatally dangerous for humans,” he said.
By saving Asian elephants, McNair advocates for legislation to stop animal cruelty, such as the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Overseas) Bill, passed by the UK Parliament in 2023. This work also recently led to his appointment as Animal Welfare Officer. The Law Society of England and Wales has named a Legal Hero of the Year 2024.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Now, he and other animal rights activists are scrutinizing tourism companies that encourage unethical treatment of elephants. McNair said some sanctuaries do treat elephants ethically, and he advised visitors to do their research before booking a trip to ensure their own safety and the safety of the elephants.
“(We want to) try to steer the animal tourism market away from cruelty and toward ethics,” McNair explains. “That’s the real purpose, it’s not to shut down the tour companies, that’s it. It’s to help the animals and help the people who want to make money from animal tourism. … That’s fine, but be ethical.”
For more lifestyle articles, visit foxnews.com/lifestyle
