A forager was killed after being attacked by a wild elephant in Thailand.

Aphisit Yakrasan, 47, was collecting mushrooms from a forest when he was assaulted by an elephant bull named Oi Wan in Nakhon Ratchasima province, early morning today.

The jumbo had been in heat and brutally trampled Aphisit, crushing his ribs, arms, and legs.

Villagers living near the edge of the woodland reported the attack after hearing Aphisit's screams during the elephant's rampage.

Police and forest officials arrived at the forest and found Oi Wan still loitering around Aphisit's broken body. They drove the creature away with loud noises before carrying Aphisit and rushing him to the Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital.

Doctors said the forager had suffered broken ribs that punctured his lungs, a torn diaphragm, and fractured limbs.

He was in a coma in the ICU, but succumbed to his injuries just a few hours later.

Village head Thanankorn Niamsungnoen said: 'The elephant, Oi Wan, stomped on a villager. How many more deaths do the authorities need to address this issue seriously?'

Authorities believe Oi Wan was in musth and had wandered from the nearby Thap Lan National Park.

Elephant musth is a periodic condition in male elephants characterised by heightened testosterone levels, increased aggression, and the secretion of a thick, pungent fluid from their temporal glands. It is associated with reproductive behavior and can last for several weeks, during which the elephant may be more dominant and unpredictable.

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.

Though the creatures are usually harmless, there have been several fatal elephant attacks in recent weeks.

On January 17, farmer Anukoon Khampraphai, 42, was trampled to death by a wild elephant he crashed into, also in Trat province.

On January 3, Spanish tourist Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, 22, was struck by an elephant she was bathing at the Koh Yao Elephant Care centre in Phang Nga province. She reportedly slipped and accidentally grabbed its trunk, causing the animal to smash her against the rocky pool.

On January 19, Anan Chorawek, 53, was killed by an elephant bull named Seedor Sab at his orchard in Trat province. He reportedly set off fireworks trying to drive Seedor Sab away, but the loud noise only enraged the pachyderm. It charged at him and trampled him to death.