PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN - An enraged bull elephant, thought to be in musth, has trampled his keeper to death in Hua Hin.
Photo by Chaiwat Satyaem
Police reported that on Wednesday, Rat Tajak, 57, was killed by an elephant under his control named Plai Si Dor at a farm in Hua Hin district. The attack was witnessed by many shocked visitors.
Despite being shot with several tranquilizer darts, the elephant kept charging at bystanders and damaged several parked cars and motorcycles, police said. It took handlers more than six hours to calm the frenzied animal down.
Niwat Makluer, 27, a new keeper at the farm, said he was supposed to be the victim's replacement as Rat was due to return to his hometown in Surin, a province in the Northeast famous for training elephants.
The elephant went wild and approached a female elephant, trying to get acquainted with it, Mr Niwat told the police.
Rat was riding the animal and tried to regain control of it, but instead was thrown down to the ground. Then the elephant repeatedly trampled on him, crushing his skull. Afterward, Plai Si Dor flung the body into the air with its trunk, Mr Niwat said.
The video clip below entitled, uploaded to YouTube by hua hin, shows the bull elephant trampling its keeper to death in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district on Dec 19, 2012.