Wild Elephant Claims His 3rd Human Victim

A morning walk in one of Thailand's best-known national parks turned deadly when a wild elephant fatally trampled a tourist, officials say. Authorities at Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand said a 65-year-old man from Lopburi province was killed Monday by a bull elephant known as Oyewan. The man had been walking with his wife when the animal charged; park rangers managed to scare the elephant away, allowing her to escape, park chief Chaiya Huayhongthong told AFP, per the Straits Times. Chaiya said the same elephant has now been linked to three confirmed deaths and may be responsible for additional unresolved fatalities. He did not provide details.

Park officials are scheduled to meet Friday to decide how to handle Oyewan. Options include relocating the animal or attempting to modify his behavior, Chaiya said. The incident highlights growing tension between humans and Thailand's expanding wild elephant population. More than 220 people, including foreign visitors, have reportedly died in encounters with wild elephants since 2012. Recent cases include the death of a Spanish tourist at an elephant sanctuary in southern Thailand last January and another tourist death at a national park in Loei province the month before, per CBS News. Authorities say wild elephant numbers in Thailand have more than doubled in a decade to nearly 800, prompting the use of contraceptive vaccines on females.