Chinese tour guide killed by elephant in Thailand

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A Chinese tour guide died as he tried to rescue tourists who enraged an elephant by pulling tail in Pattaya, Thailand, on Dec. 21, 2017.

According to the Bangkok Post, two tourists were riding on a 17-year-old male elephant near a group of tourists waiting at an elephant camp in Chon Buri, southeast of Bangkok.

Photo from Bangkok Post

One of the tourists pulled the elephant tail, enraging the giant animal, which then charged towards the crowd.

35-year-old He Yongjie, who led a group of tourists from southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, was trying to help, but got trampled to death.

Two other tourists were injured and were rushed to hospital.

Photo from huanqiu.com

The mahout said the elephant had always been mild and had never hurt anyone before.

Local police are investigating the case.

The Chinese embassy to Thailand has demanded that the body be properly handled and that the injured be taken care of well.

Photo from Siamchon News

The elephant is regarded as a national symbol in the Southeast Asian country.

After the Thai government imposed a nationwide logging ban in 1989, elephants became a lucrative business and started to be used in tourist sites for shows and rides.

There are about 4,000 trained elephants in Thailand, compared with 2,500 wild ones.

CFP Photo

However, accidents occasionally occur. In fact, this is the second case that an elephant has killed a man within a month.

Last month, a five-ton elephant, which had starred in several films and commercials, crushed his owner to death in Thailand's the northern city of Chiang Mai.