Incident involving five-tonne elephant that has starred in films and commercials prompts fresh debate over use of animals in tourism

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

An elephant that has starred in feature films and commercials has crushed its owner to death in Thailand, zoo officials say, setting off fresh debate over the kingdom’s animal tourism industry.



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The accident took place on Monday morning in the northern city of Chiang Mai, just after the owner, Somsak Riengngen, unchained the five-tonne elephant, called Ekasit.

With a mahout, or handler, on his back, Ekasit took a few steps before reversing course and attacking 54-year-old Somsak, who was on the ground.

“The elephant suddenly turned back and used his trunk to grab the victim. Then the elephant used his trunk to crush him,” Wuthichai Muangman, acting director of Chiang Mai zoo, told AFP.

The 32-year-old animal was being temporarily housed at the zoo under a contract due to expire in April.

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Thailand is notorious for an elephant tourism trade, with the animals performing in circuses, giving rides, or being hired out for other forms of entertainment.

A July report by World Animal Protection found that twice as many elephants were pushed into Thailand’s tourism industry as in the rest of Asia combined, with most kept in “severely inadequate conditions”.

Out of 2,923 elephants documented as working in Asia’s tourism trade, 2,198 were in Thailand. Wuthichai said Chiang Mai zoo did not hold elephant shows but allowed tourists to feed the animals.

The animal rights campaign group Peta said that while the keeper’s death was a tragedy, it illustrated the potentially violent consequences of keeping elephants confined.

“Is it any wonder that some of these gentle animals eventually become fed up and fight back after being chained while confined to small enclosures that are a fraction of the size of their natural habitats?” a statement said.