An elephant expert warns tourists after the death of Blanca Ojanguren García in Thailand

An Asian elephant expert is raising the alarm about “elephant sanctuaries” after a tourist was killed while visiting Thailand.

Blanca Ojanguren García, 22, a law student at the University of Navarra, died last week. He was bathing an elephant at Koh Yao Elephant Care when the 50-year-old animal killed him with its trunk, according to Spanish media.

About 18 people were in the sanctuary at the time, including the victim's boyfriend, the company told Spanish newspaper El Mundo. No other visitors were injured, and details about the incident, such as how the animals were treated, were not yet known.

But the incident raises questions about how safe elephant sanctuaries, which lure tourists with promises of close encounters with the animals, are safe.

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Duncan McNair, CEO of London-based charity Save the Asian Elephants, spoke to Fox News Digital about the tragedy and warned that visitors should think twice before visiting one.

“'Sanctuary,' like 'ports' and 'orphanages,' is a very negative term that often has no meaning or is certainly not accurate,” McNair said. “I Most of the sanctuaries in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Cambodia … are illegal. They are cruel, and they do it all for money. “

It is still unknown why the elephant attacked García, or how the sanctuary authorities handled the creature before it was killed. But McNair said that while the elephant may not have been aware of its powers, it may have been against the conditions in which it was kept.

“[The trunk] it's an extraordinarily diverse and long-lasting multi-purpose organ,” explains McNair. … There is absolutely no way this could be an accident.

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McNair advises against tourists interacting closely with elephants, citing mutual concerns. (iStock/Getty Images)

“Then why did it happen? Yes, because the elephant, which was like all the elephants captured for commercial exploitation, was kept in unnatural conditions, under extreme stress.”

He emphasized that although elephants are gentle and intelligent animals, their “calmness” does not mean that they have been domesticated. And they can deal with any threat or distress they see, even a well-intentioned visitor.

“Elephants are wild animals. … They are kept in captivity, abused to tame them,” McNair explained. But that does not mean that they are taken, it means that they are afraid of the future.

“If they see their chance, or if they are under pressure, they will attack and kill.”

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Elephant sanctuaries attract tourists with opportunities to touch elephants, but they can pose serious risks. (iStock/Getty Images)

The animal rights advocate noted that although elephants are “amazing and complex animals” that eat herbivores, they will still react violently when threatened.

“They react, sometimes excessively, when something flashes in their corner of vision,” McNair explains. “And, therefore, putting an elephant that has been abused in captivity for almost decades, right next to a young woman who may have very little knowledge of elephants and no proper training, is a perfect recipe for disaster.”

McNair, who also serves as an attorney for the company, also noted that the abuse of elephants begins before the animals even set foot in the sanctuaries. Elephants are often taken by poachers who commit atrocities ranging from killing mothers in front of their children to repeatedly stabbing baby elephants to tame them.

Elephants, although gentle, are dangerous to humans if abused. (iStock/Getty Images)

“With elephants that have been abused and tortured for tourism, they are very dangerous. … Not only are these activities a disaster for elephants, they are very dangerous for people,” he said.

Through Save the Asian Elephants, McNair has advocated for legislation that prohibits practices that abuse animals, such as the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act that was passed by the British Parliament in 2023. This work has also recently led to him being named a Legal Hero of the Year 2024 by the Law Society of England and Wales.

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Now, he and other animal advocates are taking a hard look at tourism companies that promote the mistreatment of elephants. Some zoos treat elephants well, McNair said, and advises visitors to do their research before booking their trip for both their safety and the safety of the elephants.

“[We want] trying to steer the animal tourism market from cruelty to ethics,” explained McNair. “That's the real goal, not to shut down tourism companies, nothing like that. To help animals and to help people who want to make money from animal tourism. … It's okay, but behave yourself about it.”

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