Elephant Kills Handler, Takes Tourists

A Thai elephant turned on its handler and ran off with two tourists during a routine scenic trek near a waterfall in the city of Phang Nga. Thai authorities said Monday that the male elephant trampled and killed its 60-year-old handler and then took off with a Russian woman and her 9-year-old daughter, who were riding the elephant. Rescuers had to track the elephant nearly 2 miles and tranquilize it before they could save the tourists, who were clinging to its back. “It took almost three hours for the elephant to calm down completely. We had to tie it to a tree,” said police Lt. Col. Narong Laksanawimol.