Terrified tourists rescued from killer elephant
A Chinese family was rescued from a terrifying ordeal in Chiang Mai after a male elephant went into a rage, killed its mahout and fled into the jungle with the tourists on his back, police said.
A Chinese family was rescued from a terrifying ordeal in Chiang Mai after a male elephant went into a rage, killed its mahout and fled into the jungle with the tourists on his back, police said.
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Three members of a Chinese family are safe after a male elephant ran amok, gored his mahout to death and then tore off into the jungle with them still on his back at Phutawan elephant camp in tambon Mae Win of Mae Wang district. (Photos by Cheewin Sattha)
Terrified tourists rescued from killer elephant
Post reporters and Cheewin Sattha
CHIANG MAI – Three members of a Chinese family were recovering from a terrifying ordeal after a male elephant ran amok, gored his mahout to death and then fled into the jungle with them still on his back, Mae Wang district police said Wednesday.
The frightened tourists, Chinese parents travelling with their child, were rescued by another mahout who went into the forest to find them. They were reported to be shaken but unhurt.
Police called to the scene found the lifeless body of the Karen mahout, identified later as Surachai Daengphumpak, beside the Mae Wang stream near Phutawan elephant camp in tambon Mae Win of Mae Wang district.
The 40-year-old mahout had been gored in the neck and left side of his chest, police said.
Police said the tourists were part of a Chinese tour group that visited the camp to take elephant rides.
The father, mother and child were being taken for a ride in the stream when the elephant became frenzied, trying to throw the tourists from its back. The mahout, Surachai, tried to control him, but the elephant attacked him, goring him with his tusks in full view of tourists.
After the attack, the bull elephant, 30-year-old Plai Somjai, fled into the jungle, with the horrified Chinese family still on its back.
Camp staff and police evacuated other tourists from the area and began a rescue operation by sending another mahout close to the elephant, identified as Mr Klui, after the animal.
The traumatised Chinese family is seen on the back of the bull elephant after it fled into the jungle in Chiang Mai provice.
Police said it took Mr Klui an hour to calm Plai Somjai down and bring it with the Chinese couple and their daughter back to camp safely. Plai Somjai later had no problems letting the three tourists off his back.
They were not physically harmed in the incident, but were reported to be severely traumatised.
“Kwan (mahout) Klui was able to control Plai Somjai because he used to care for this elephant when he was young,” Mae Wang police investigator Pol Lt Col Supoj Jun-Keao said.
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