Tourists and staff at an elephant centre in Chon Buri ran for their lives on Thursday morning as two male tuskers fought over a female, and the old one was killed by the younger one, ASTV Manager newspaper reported.
Authorities called to Khao Chi Chan Pattaya Elephant Centre in Sattahip district found the severely gored body of 69-year-old Phlai Sompong.
The dead tusker was one of 22 elephants that carry tourists on sightseeing rides at the centre.
Phlai Sompong was killed in a battle with Phlai Noi, a 30-year-old male tusker bought from Surin province to mate with female elephants at the camp, ASTV Manager said on its website.
Mahout Pairatch Sooksri, 30, said he secured Phlai Noi to a tree outside the elephant shelter with a metal chain and went to have a shower to prepare for work.
The elephant broke the chain while he was away and then rushed into the shelter and tried to mate with a female who was in oestrus.
The younger elephant was then confronted by the patriarch, Phlai Sompong, and they clashed fiercely, panicking tourists and staff alike.
The Surin bull drove his tusks into the old elephant's belly several times, and he collapsed and died.
It was not clear how the metal chain was broken.
The rampaging bull elephant was immobilised with a tranqilliser fired from a dart gun and later chained to a tree in a remote area of the camp, he said.
Panjamaporn Sinsookborirak, the centre’s manager, said there were only a few visitors in the camp at the time. No one was injured.