36-year-old Scot named Gareth Crowe,
was said to have been thrown by an elephant after it turned on its handler
during an outing on Koh Samui.
The Bangkok Post said he was trampled
on by the elephant and stabbed in the torso by its tusk on Monday afternoon.
It is understood his teenage daughter
escaped with minor injuries and is being treated in hospital.
His partner Catherine Hughes and
their son were not on the trek, according to reports, which suggested the
elephant named Golf was upset before the incident in the Tambon Bor Phud area
and was not responding to its handler's commands.
Mr Crowe's daughter appeared to
respond to witness claims that her father had teased the animal with a banana.
Eilidh Hughes wrote on the Samui
Times website: "He was not teasing the elephant as I was his 16 year old
daughter who is lying in hospital and I was on it."
The charity World Animal Protection
said thoughts were with the man's loved ones but the incident was a "stark
reminder" that elephants are not meant to be ridden.
A spokeswoman said: "Elephants
are cruelly abused to tame them enough so they give rides and perform in shows.
"Most tourists don't know about
these abuses, or the potential danger they put themselves in.
"If you can ride it, hug it or
have a selfie with a wild animal, then you should be aware of the risk attached
and the chances are, it is cruel and the animal is suffering."
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