News
Woman Killed Trying to Walk Under Elephant for Good Luck
Police in Northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai Province report that a 48-year-old woman was killed by an Asian elephant. She allegedly tried to walk under the grey giant for good luck.
According to CityNews the 42-year-old mahout from Mae Hong Son informed Chiang Mai police that his 26-year-old Asian elephant was tethered to a tree for a short period of time while he and a friend ran errands.
When he returned, he discovered the body of a woman nearby the Asian elephant.
According to the authorities, the woman was a well-known alcoholic in the area, and neighbours said that she wanted to follow a tradition in which one walks under an elephant for good luck.
Instead of asking the mahout for permission, she walked under the elephant on her own accord. The mahout said he believed she must have startled the elephant when she tried walking it.
Campers attacked by wild elephant
The mahout said he arrived back just in time to see the Asian elephant panicking but said that by the time he pulled the woman away, she was already dead.
Meanwhile, a couple on a nature study tour in Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary narrowly avoided serious injury when their tent was torn down and their campsite destroyed by wild elephants.
During the night, the couple was afraid of the animals returning after the man suffered bruising from a blow through the tent wall.
The sanctuary quickly announced the termination of the nature study program.
Study tour participants hiked a natural trail on Doi Mon Chong, a small mountain in the park that straddles Chiang Mai and Tak provinces.
The woman and her boyfriend, who asked not to be identified, said they heard noises outside the tent, which they attributed to some large animals.
In a flash, he was struck by a painful blow to his right arm and shoulder through the tent wall. He was left with chest pains and breathing difficulties as a result.
After they freed themselves from the tent, they discovered that the campsite and other gear had been flattened.
