22-year-old tourist killed by elephant in front of boyfriend in Thai sanctuary

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 - A tourist was k!lled by an elephant in front of her boyfriend while on vacation in Thailand, according to reports. 

Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care on Yao Yai Island on Friday, Jan. 3, when the 50-year-old animal struck her down with its trunk, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo. 

García, a law and international relations student at the University of Navarra in Spain, was rushed to a local hospital, where she d!ed from her injuries, local police said. 

Garcia’s boyfriend was among the eight tourists at the sanctuary. 

They and about 10 workers were uninjured when the elephant turned, the owner of Koh Yao Elephant Care told El Mundo. 

Initial reports claimed the female elephant had gored García with one of its tusks. 

However, Spanish news outlet EFE reported that was not the case. 
The sanctuary, which houses three elephants, closed its doors with no planned reopening date, the owner said. 

García, who hailed from a military family, had just completed her professional internships at Spain’s navy headquarters in Madrid, El Pais reported. 

Her body was taken to another hospital on the island of Phuket to be prepared to be taken back to Spain. 

Friday’s k!lling marks the first fatal elephant attack of 2025, according to El Pais. 

There have been some 240 f@tal incidents involving the typically gentle giants in the last 12 years, including 39 last year. 

Just last month, a 49-year-old woman was k!lled by a wild elephant that charged her at Phu Kradueng National Park.