Thailand mahout charged after elephant kills tourist

Theerayut Inthaphudkij, 38, has been charged with negligence causing death, authorities say.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersMahout charged after elephant kills tourist in ThailandGetty ImagesThere are nearly 3,000 elephants in Thailand's tourists attractions Thai police have charged a mahout after an elephant in his care killed a Spanish tourist last week.

Theerayut Inthaphudkij, 38, was charged with negligence causing death, local authorities said Monday.

The tourist - 22-year-old Blanca Ojanguren García - sustained a head injury after being shoved by the elephant while she was bathing the animal. She later died in the hospital.

Her death has renewed concerns over Thailand's booming elephant tourism industry, which animal rights groups have long criticised as unethical and dangerous.

Activists say that elephant bathing is disruptive to natural grooming behaviours and could injure the animals, exposing them to unnecessary stress.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv3dv7y96lo

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