Woman trampled to death by wild elephant in front of horrified husband

A woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in a rubber plantation in Thailand as her horrified husband watched helplessly.

Wanna Sridachama, 36, was tapping rubber trees with her husband, Phanmongkol Jindawan, 27, when the aggressive jumbo wandered into the forest in Chonburi, eastern Thailand, in the early hours of October 4.

It then charged at the panicked wife, who screamed to her spouse: 'The elephant is coming, run.'

The couple fled in different directions with the elephant in pursuit. Phanmongkol ran uphill while his wife went the other way.

But the elephant chased after Wanna. It caught up to her, reportedly coiling its trunk around her body and hurling her to the ground as Phanmongkol watched in horror.

The husband heard her final terrified scream before the jungle behemoth slammed its foot down and the forest fell silent.

Phanmongkol said he waited for the elephant to leave the area before rushing over, only to find that Wanna had already died.

He alerted police, who arrived at the scene and cordoned off the plantation while rescue workers recovered her body.

He said: 'I heard her scream, but there was nothing I could do at that moment. I watched the elephant chase her and then heard her scream for the last time. I waited for it to leave before I ran to her, but she was already gone. I still cannot believe I lost my wife like this.'

Authorities said they were investigating the attack and working with relevant agencies to monitor the wild elephant and prevent further incidents.

Wildlife officials warned people living or working near the forest not to approach or try to drive away wild elephants. Locals were advised to immediately alert authorities if they encounter one.

In a similar incident in August, hero husband Pichai Ngamphaeng, 38, was trampled to death by a wild elephant after he reportedly distracted the animal to protect his wife, Nuwan Maneenual, 39.

Park ranger Maneerat Treewattananon said the elephant had been spotted near the area hours earlier, but authorities were not alerted until after the fatal attack.

Thailand is home to an estimated 3,500 wild elephants, a number that has increased in recent years but remains far below the estimated 300,000 that once roamed the country in the early 20th century.

But the growing population has also sparked more frequent encounters between the animals and locals, as their natural habitat continues to shrink and become fragmented.

Human-wildlife conflict remains a major threat, with local media reporting that 29 people and 30 wild elephants were killed in 'aggressive confrontations' across Thailand last year alone.