A mother was trampled to death by a wild elephant in a national park in Thailand.

Jiranan Panyaprasertying, 49, was hiking with her friend to see a waterfall when they came across the hostile jumbo at the Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province on December 11.

The violent pachyderm charged at the pair and brutally crushed her skull when she tripped while fleeing. Her friend managed to escape and reported the attack to authorities.

Adisorn Hemthan, head of Phu Kradueng National Park, said he was notified at 9:47 am. Rangers were dispatched to the trail, where the tourist was Jiranan splayed on the grass, the blood from her head soaking into the soil.

Police Major General Pongpipat Siripornwiwat, commander of the Loei Provincial Police, said: 'We co-ordinated with the Wing 24 Unit in Udon Thani province to send a helicopter to the park.

'The deceased was taken to the Phu Kradueng Hospital for a post-mortem exam, and her friend was taken to the Phu Kradueng Police Station for questioning.'

The friend said Jiranan had been walking some 700ft (200m) ahead of her when she was attacked by the elephant.

Park officials said it was the first time a tourist had been attacked along the trail.

Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said the path, and several others regularly used by wild animals, has been closed to ensure the safety of visitors.

He said: 'The National Parks Department would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and ask that tourists strictly follow the advice of officials for safety while traveling.'

He added that Jiranan's family will receive 100,000 THB (2,300 GBP) of financial aid from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Area 8 (Khon Kaen).

Local media reported it was Jiranan's first time going on a hike at the national park. A day before her death, she had written on social media: 'By the time we arrived, my legs were almost unable to move. I felt discouraged when I saw the stairs, but the view up there was breathtaking! This was my first time hiking at Phu Kradueng.'

Phu Kradueng National Park is one of the most popular parks in Thailand. Tourists often visit the waterfall area that is home to a forest of maple trees, whose leaves turn a vibrant red in the cold season from October to December. Unlike most national parks in the country, there is no guide requirement for walking the longer trails.

The fatal attack comes a month after an elephant bull went berserk during a religious ceremony in Bueng Kan province on November 10.

The male jumbo reportedly enjured the heat as it was made to march around the Wat Suthi Wararam temple to mark the end of the local Buddhist monks' retreat. However, it went on a rampage and flung female worshipper Preyawan Karakulpoonperm, 47, to the ground then trampled her to death.

Elephants are the national animal of Thailand. They have played roles in warfare, royal and religious ceremonies, and local livelihoods, making them a revered part of Thai culture.

As of 2023, there are an estimated 3,084-3,500 wild elephants in Thailand. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.

(1 GBP = 43.12 THB)