Expert warns Americans about elephant tourism after young student is killed in Thailand: 'Recipe for disaster'

Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, 22, a law student at the University of Navarra, died last week. She was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care when the 50-year-old animal killed her with its trunk, according to Spanish media.

Around 18 people were at the sanctuary at the time, including the victim's boyfriend, the company told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. No other visitors were injured, and details about the incident, such as how the animals were treated, are still unknown.

But the incident raises questions about how safe elephant sanctuaries, which lure tourists with promises of getting up close with the animals, really are.

It is still unknown why the elephant struck Garcia, or how the sanctuary's handlers treated the creature before the killing. But McNair said while it's possible the elephant was unaware of its strength, it was more likely lashing out against the conditions it was kept in.

"So why did it happen? Well, of course, because the elephant, which was like pretty much all elephants in captivity for commercial exploitation, was being kept in a completely unnatural state, in extreme stress."

He emphasized that, though elephants are gentle and intelligent animals, their "calmness" does not mean they are tamed. And they can snap at any threat or stressor they perceive, even a well-meaning tourist.

The animal rights advocate noted that while elephants are "wondrous and complex" herbivores, they will still respond aggressively when they are threatened.

"They react, sometimes extremely, when something flashes across their corner of vision," McNair explained. "And, so, to put an elephant that's been abused in captivity probably for decades, in exact proximity with a young woman who's probably got very little experience of elephants and no proper training, is an absolute recipe for disaster."

McNair, who also works as a corporate lawyer, also noted that the mistreatment of elephants begins before the animals step foot into sanctuaries. Elephants are often snatched by poachers who commit atrocities ranging from killing mothers in front of their children to repeatedly stabbing baby elephants into submission.

Through Save the Asian Elephants, McNair has advocated for legislation to stop abusive practices against the animals, such as the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act that passed in the British Parliament in 2023. This work also recently led to his being named a Legal Hero of the Year 2024 by the Law Society of England and Wales.

Now, he and other animal advocates are scrutinizing tourism companies that encourage unethical treatment of elephants. Some sanctuaries do treat elephants ethically, McNair said, and he advised that tourists do research before booking their trips for both their own safety and the safety of the elephants.