MOSCOW, November 17 (Sputnik) — An 18-year-old bull elephant trampled his trainer to death and ran off into the jungle with a Russian mother and daughter still on top during a jungle trek in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, on Sunday, reports the Phuket Gazette.
The elephant, named Meaw, ran for three kilometers after killing his mahout, Suk Sapmak, aged 60, before officers were able to subdue him with tranquilizer darts and rescue the Russian tourists.
As reported by Phuket Gazette, the bull elephant was experiencing Musth when he killed his trainer.
Musth is a period of intensified sexual excitement in bull elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior and coinciding with a swell in testosterone levels. Officials had to shoot the elephant twice with tranquillizer darts in order to rescue the tourists.
"Bull elephants in musth are very dangerous and they shouldn't be part of these attractions," said Edwin Wieks, founder of the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand, reports The Australian.
Wieks said tourists get on elephants at their own risk, as he feels that careless enforcement in resorts is rarely punished for such accidents.
As reported by Phuket Gazette, Suk Sapmak’s body was found about 200 meters downstream from where he was trampled. “Mr. Suk and his family, from Surin province, moved here two years ago with Meaw,” said Waraporn Kasetkala, manager of Phuwara Tour, the company which organized the trek.
The elephant will be kept under observation and away from tourists until it is safe for him to start trekking again. “He is normally playful and kind. This is why we believe he must have been in musth,” Waraporn told the Phuket Gazette.
“He will be kept under observation and will not go on any treks until we know that it is safe for him to be around tourists”, added Waraporn.
