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A tourist apparently trampled to death by elephants in Thailand was a woman from New York state.
The US State Department said yesterday that she was 24-year-old Lily Glidden, who was from a small village named Freeville.
Park rangers in Thailand found her body on January 18, five days after she had left alone from a campsite in Kaeng Krachan National Park in the western province of Petchaburi.
The incident is said to have come about after the newly graduated Tufts graduate of Freeville, New York, had been taking pictures of the animals in Kaeng Krachan National Park, just outside Bangkok.
Told the woman’s family in a statement: ‘We believe that what happened to Lily was a result of unknowable and unusual circumstances which she must have been unable to foresee or prevent.’
‘Lily was very aware of the dangers of working with wildlife and not a person to court foolish risks, particularly where animals were involved.’
‘She had an educated and dedicated respect for the natural world and was completely comfortable in it. She did extensive solo hiking and backpacking in many parts throughout the West and knew how to respond to chance encounters with bears and other potentially dangerous animals.’
‘She was also a fearless individual… We would wish her remembered as an extremely competent.’
Offered police Col. Woradet Suanklaai: ‘Looking at the pictures she took in her camera, we see a lot of animals, birds, snakes, lizards,’ Woradet said.
‘We assumed she wanted to take pictures of elephants because that’s what the Kaeng Krachan National Park is famous for. We believe she wanted to find them and take some photos.’
It is understood Lily Glidden had taken courses at the Vermont Wilderness School and the Wilderness Awareness School in Washington and wanted to work as a vet.
Some on the web have openly wondered if Lily Glidden had provoked or mistreated the animals to force them to so trample her whilst others wondered if it was the fact that she was up so close in their habitat that the creatures had no way of reckoning of her being.
Agencies/Canadajournal
