The owner of the elephant, who also owns the resort where it and other animals are kept, has been charged with recklessness leading to death and injury, local police said. The Bangkok Post newspaper reported that the bull elephant had turned on the handler of another elephant, grabbing him with its trunk and hurling him to the ground, before turning on the tourists sitting in the front row. Several local people were also injured and considerable damage done to vehicles and property as they either fled or tried to bring the maddened elephant under control. The animal was eventually captured. It is being kept at the resort while veterinary experts examine it to see if they can find out why the normally tame animal went on the rampage.
Many Thai resorts offer animals as an attraction.
Animal-rights activists and some tourists have been critical of the conditions under which they are kept. Sue Masterman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the rest of the day's top world stories, click here , to our International News page. Keep up on the latest breaking developments on this story and the rest of the world by clicking here to our Raw News page. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Internet Safety Information applicable to this site.