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An elephant in Thailand has reportedly ripped its mahout (elephant rider or keeper) in half after being overworked.

According to The Thaiger, the incident happened at a rubber plantation in the Phang Nga province, on the morning of Aug. 17, 2022.

Stabbed with tusks and ripped apart

Local police from the Takua Thung Police Station were informed of the keeper's death at 11:30am on Wednesday.

Upon arriving at the scene, the officers were informed that Pom Pam, a 20-year-old male elephant, had ripped apart his keeper, 32-year-old Supachai Wongfaed, at the plantation.

Wongfaed's corpse was reportedly found lying in a pool of blood with Pom Pam standing over it, according to NextShark.

Local police told The Thaiger that the elephant had stabbed the man with its tusks several times before ripping his body in half.

Overworked and overheated

NextShark added that preliminary investigation by the police revealed that Pom Pam had been "forced" by Wongfaed to haul rubberwood at the plantation on the morning of the incident.

The police added that the hot weather might have made the elephant “go crazy,” implying that the conditions had caused the animal to attack its keeper.

Phang Nga Provincial Livestock officers were subsequently called to the scene to sedate Pom Pam, so that rescue workers could retrieve Wongfaed's body.

Background

According to Newsweek, elephants are considered both wild and domestic animals in Thailand.

The country's domestic elephant population is estimated at 3,800, out of which more than 2,700 were used in the tourism industry prior to 2020.

Although usually considered good-natured creatures, elephants can pose a danger to humans when they feel stressed, provoked or threatened.

In July, an elephant in Thailand had also attacked its owner after being forced to climb a hill for work, The Thaiger reported.

It was also believed that the elephant had been stressed from work.

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