How many elephants are in captivity in Thailand? What we know as Spanish tourist was killed by elephant while bathing the animal

A Spanish tourist tragically lost her life in Thailand, putting the focus on the treatment of elephants that are held in captivity in the country. On January 3, 2025, 22-year-old student Ojanguren García died at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre, where she was bathing an elephant.

According to a study published by NIH, captive elephants are estimated to be about 3,783 in the total population of approximately 6,783 to 7,483 elephants in Thailand.

Most of these captured elephants are used in tourism-related activities that have gained popularity across generations for several decades. World Animal Protection, an animal rights organization based in the UK, estimates that there are some 2,798 elephants held specifically for tourism purposes in Thailand.

This is a significant rise in the elephant camps and sanctuaries meant for tourist use, more especially after logging was banned in 1989. The application of elephants switched from labor to entertainment.

But it has also brought along some costs. Most elephants are kept in very poor conditions, sometimes isolated or engaged in unnatural behaviors to entertain the people.

Concerns about elephant welfare in Thailand

Asian elephants in Thailand - Source: Getty

Captive elephant welfare in Thailand has become increasingly significant, with tourism rebounding from the devastation caused by COVID-19.

Captive elephants in Thailand often receive brutal training methods to guarantee their performance for tourists. These methods often leave the animals suffering physically and psychologically.

A 2015 NIH study stated that 86% of captive elephants live under poor conditions. Poor conditions could be a result of inadequate space, lack of social interaction, and insufficient care.

According to World Animal Protection, there has been a 135% increase in elephants living in severe conditions between 2010 and 2020, and this is an alarming trend concerning the treatment of these animals with the rise in tourism demands.

Before the pandemic, the tourism industry involving elephants was valued at about $581 million to $770 million per year. However, when the tourism industry for these elephants collapsed due to COVID-19, it resulted in very harsh effects for many elephants since their caregivers were not able to provide enough food and care without tourists’ income.

Reports indicated that some of the elephants starved to death during this time.

Using the elephants for entertainment purposes has elicited calls by organizations and welfare advocates for reform. The Act of 2014 on the Welfare of Animals in Thailand grants some protection for wild elephants while not doing sufficient to address captivity welfare.

Edwin Wiek, one of Thailand's most prominent anti-trafficking campaigners, told BBC in 2023:

"The ideal scenario would be having elephants semi-wild, like we keep them here, in large natural enclosures where they can hang around, bathe, run or forage for food, as they would in nature."

"I'm afraid that the majority of elephants, three-quarters of them at least, will still need to find alternative income. And that means there will still be a lot of places where elephant rides, elephant bathing and feeding by tourists will be part of daily routine."

Recently, World Animal Protection and other organizations have run campaigns that aim to decrease the demand for elephant experiences where there is direct contact. For example, ChangChill has successfully operated an observation-only model since 2019, which has been both ethical and profitable.

Ojanguren García's death

According to reports by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, García was apparently killed on January 3, 2025, while giving an elephant in the Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre a bath at Yao Yai Island during her vacation with her boyfriend.

According to reports, stress-piqued and panicked, the elephant attacked García while she was engaging in a very popular tourist activity. A witness said she was bathing it with her boyfriend and other tourists when it bumped her with its trunk.

She died within hours of the accident, despite being taken to a local hospital for prompt medical attention.