A Russian mother and daughter experienced a horrific incident in Thailand when an elephant they were riding trampled his owner and ran two miles into the jungle with the two clinging for their lives on his back, according to The Associated Press.
The 60-year-old elephant handler was crushed and found in near a creek in the area on Sunday, the AP reported.
The elephant, a bull elephant named Meaw, began attacking the handler about 15 minutes after what was supposed to be a scenic ride through the Phang Nga jungle in Thailand, the Telegraph reported. The elephant had to be tranquilized before the mother and daughter could be saved.
Reports say the elephant was in a state of "musth," meaning the animal was in a frenzied state when he trampled his handler and ran off, according to the Telegraph. During a state of musth the male elephant has an increase in testosterone.
The elephant was subdued almost 310 miles south of Bangkok and two miles away from the resort in Phang Nga where tourists were residing, the AP reported.
The Phang Nga jungle and the elephant rides are common in the southern Thailand area, known for its tourism, according to the AP.
The elephant is an 18-year-old elephant, but it still took several tranquilizer darts before the elephant was calm enough for the woman and her daughter to get off safely, the AP reported.
"It took almost three hours for the elephant to calm down completely. We had to tie it to a tree," police Lt. Col. Narong Laksanawimol said, according to the AP.
According to police, the elephant had never attacked anyone since it began working for a tourist company two years ago, the Telegraph reported.
