A photo session with an elephant turned violent last night at a Songkhla house on Rat U Thit 1 Road when a four-year-old male elephant hurt an eight-year-old boy with his trunk.
The event was set in motion when Natawat Jaidee bought a hand of bananas from a mahout to try to feed the elephant, named Plai Kwan Muang. Natawat climbed up on the back of the animal, getting ready for a snapshot when Plai Kwan Muang wrapped his trunk around Natawat’s body and threw him on the windshield of a Toyota Vios sedan.
Natawat was slightly injured but the car’s window was hardly smashed. Plai Kwan Muang also stabbed Narong Kaewkerd, Natawat’s 36-year-old uncle, on the left thigh with his tusks while Narong was attempting to help Natawat.
Mahout Boonchu Kaoram told police that Plai Kwan Muang became aggressive due to his being in musth and to the hot weather. Boonchu was being held at a police station for interrogation after police found out that his license had expired, Khaosod reported.
