It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, August 20, 2022
Video shows orca appearing to attack
another killer whale at SeaWorld,
prompting PETA complaint to USDA
Joshua Zitser
A screenshot of footage shows an orca attempting to beach itself while being attacked by another killer whale.PETA US
Eyewitness footage shows an orca attacked by another killer whale at SeaWorld.
Following the release of the footage, PETA called on the USDA to investigate SeaWorld.
SeaWorld described the behavior as normal, adding that it was "rake marking."
Eyewitness footage from a SeaWorld visitor shows an orca violently attacking another killer whale on August 5, prompting PETA to file a complaint with the US Department of Agriculture.
The person who recorded the footage told PETA that everyone "immediately saw blood soaking the water" at the amusement park in San Diego, California, causing their nine-year-old to start crying.
The eyewitness also said that people could see bite marks and wounds over one side of the hurt orca. "Every couple seconds two more orcas would jump out of the water to continue attacking the hurt orca," the eyewitness said, per a PETA press release.
In the video, which PETA shared with Insider, an orca can be seen attempting to beach itself to get away from its attacker. A child can be heard saying: "How is it still alive? I thought they hug each other, not fight each other."
Following the release of the footage, PETA filed a complaint with the USDA. The complaint calls on the USDA to investigate SeaWorld, citing concerns regarding animal welfare. It asks the agency to "ensure that all animals at SeaWorld are being provided with adequate veterinary care, space, shelter, food, and water," and are handled in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act.
PETA said in a statement that it was a warning to families to stay away from any park that "imprisons orcas or other animals."
SeaWorld did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but according to the local media outlet KPBS, the company said PETA's attack was "misleading."
KPBS reported that SeaWorld described the behavior as normal, adding that it was "rake marking" — when killer whales run their teeth over each other's skin.
Confederate Festival in Brazilian town where US exiles from the South founded a slave-owning colony after the Civil War faces ban, report says
Joshua Zitser Sat, August 20, 2022 People stand in traditional outfits between dances at the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, on April 24, 2016.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
A festival celebrating the Confederacy is celebrated annually in rural Sao Paulo in Brazil.
It's held in a town where Confederate supporters fled after the Civil War and founded a slave-owning colony.
A new municipal law could mark the end of an annual celebration of the Confederacy in rural Sao Paulo, Brazil, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, has been taking place in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste for the past four decades, The Christian Science Monitor reported.
They bought hundreds of slaves who they forced to labor for them on cotton fields until 1888 when Brazil became the last nation in the Americas to ban slavery.
Now, on the site of a cemetery for the colony, the descendants of the American Confederates host an annual festival.
People in period costumes visit a settler's grave in the American Cemetery during the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, in 2016.Mario Tama/Getty Images
The festival includes men and women dancing in period costumes to country music. Attendees use "Confederate dollars" to buy chicken and biscuits, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
There are Confederate flags, including one of the world's largest, on display at the festival, per The Washington Post.
People dance on a Confederate flag at the annual Festa Confederada, or Confederate Festival, in Brazil.Mario Tama/Getty Images But a municipal law, which bans the use of racist symbols at public festivals, could end the festivities, according to the paper. A justification for the legislation passed last month specifically named the festival, per The Christian Science Monitor.
The head of the Fraternidade Descendência Americana, a group that represents the descendants of Confederate families, told the paper that he opposes the new law because he believes the Confederate flag does not represent slavery. "For us, the Confederate flag carries the symbolism of resistance to tyranny," said João Padovez, per The Christian Science Monitor.
A monument to Confederate settlers in Santa Barbara d'Oeste, Brazil.Mario Tama/Getty Images
But activist Cláudia Monteiro da Rocha Ramos told the paper that the local chapter of Unegro, an anti-racism organization, is proposing that Confederate flags are replaced with the modern-day US flag.
"After Charlottesville, [the US] debate about the flag resonated in Brazil," she said, per The Christian Science Monitor. Unegro started mobilizing after the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, The Washington Post reported.
At the last Confederate Festival in 2019, the last one held because of COVID-19 cancelations, dozens of protesters gathered nearby to perform Afro-Brazilian dances, per The Christian Science Monitor.
Twitter Users Give Steve Bannon Hell For Calling Democrat John Fetterman 'Satanic'
David Moye
Former White House strategist and Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon is getting hell from Twitter users for accusing Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman of having a satanic “vibe.”
On the conservative social media platform Gettr, Bannon shared a pearl-clutching link from the right-wing Washington Free Beacon that suggested Fetterman was part of a “Democratic Grooming Scandal” because his family was once photographed next to a person dressed as an anime character.
Bannon then accused Fetterman of exuding “pure evil.”
“Is Fetterman satanic??…his look,his vibe , his associations … has there been anyone in the history of the country that exudes more just pure evil than this guy …the Citizens of the Commonwealth need to ask themselves— do we want someone who hangs with Satanic Groomers to represent us in the US Senate.”
Some Twitter users saw desperation, not the devil.
One person thought that Bannon was targeting Fetterman for a different reason altogether.
And others thought it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Although there is no evidence that Fetterman is satanic, Republicans like Bannon and Fetterman’s Senate opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, are having a devil of a time trying to beat him in the polls.
Fetterman currently leads Oz by 8.7 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics.com.
BANNON DELIBERATELY CONFUSED FETTERMAN WITH ANTON LAVEY
Map shows which states show the most support for Brittney Griner as the WNBA star seeks freedom from Russian prison
Meredith Cash
Brittney Griner is escorted to a court room in Russia for her drug smuggling trial.AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
The US government deemed the WNBA star "wrongfully detained" and has proposed a prisoner swap to free her.
The betonline.ag team used Twitter data to determine from which US states Griner seems to be drawing the most support.
Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for more than half a year.
The WNBA superstar was first arrested in February, when customs agents at a Moscow airport found cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. Since then, she's been convicted of drug smuggling with criminal intent and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.
The US State Department has classified Griner as "wrongfully detained," which sends a "strong signal that the US government does not believe that there is a legitimate case against her," as an expert previously told Insider. Even still, plenty of Americans have been vocal about the fact that they don't want the two-time Olympic gold medalist to come home.
The team at betonline.ag set out to find where those people opposed to Griner's return — and, conversely, those offering their support — are located. Using trends software with direct access to geotagged Twitter data from more than 180,000 tweets, the group determined which states produced the most tweets with phrases like "free brittney griner," "bring brittney home," "#wearebg," "#freebrittneygriner," and more that expressed support for the eight-time WNBA All-Star.
Unsurprisingly, Arizona — home to Griner's WNBA franchise, the Phoenix Mercury — offered more support for the 6-foot-9 center than any other state. South Carolina, Oregon, and Massachusetts followed close behind at the top of the list.
Brittney Griner.Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Though Griner is a Houston, Texas, native and brought a national championship to Baylor Bears, the Lone Star State was not among the top-10 most favorable to the superstar. In general, Griner is seemingly best supported in the Southwest and on both coasts, with minimal support coming from the Midwest excepting for Illinois and Iowa.
Here's the list of the top 1o states most favorable towards the embattled American basketballer:
And here's the map depicting which US states produced the most and fewest supportive tweets:
Griner is seemingly best supported in the Southwest and on both coasts, with minimal support coming from the Midwest excepting for Illinois and Iowa.betonline.ag
A dermatologist reveals 5 toxic shampoo chemicals to avoid — and how to pick a natural alternative that won't damage your scalp
Allana Akhtar Fri, August 19, 2022 Dr. Alexander Dane Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
Social media users — including Cardi B — are crediting their healthy hair to natural alternatives to shampoo.
Dr. Alexander Dane, a board-certified dermatologist, said some natural alternatives like rice water can benefit the hair.
Other items, like baking soda and castor oil, might cause more damage to ther hair and skin. Growing awareness of how pervasive toxic chemicals are in personal care products might be incentivizing people to buy shampoo made with fewer, all-natural ingredients. Indigenous people have used natural ingredients like yucca roots and chickpea flour to wash their hair for centuries, but social media sparked renewed interest in these shampoo-alternatives.
Cardi B jumped on the trend, telling her Instagram followers this week that she washes her hair with boiled onion water.
"My last 2 washes I been boiling onions and using the water to wash my hair," she said in an Instagram post. "It's odorless and I notice that it's been giving a shine to my hair."
Shampoo-naysayers may have a point, said Dr. Alexander Dane, a New Jersey-based board-certified plastic surgeon. Chemicals in shampoo can strip away the hair's natural oil, and some are even known to cause cancer or disrupt your body's hormones.
"People are becoming more aware of what they're putting into and on their bodies, and we're starting to see people reach for natural alternatives as an alternative to using these store-bought, synthetic shampoos that can actually sometimes cause more damage than good," Dane told Insider. Shampoos can contain chemicals that strips your hair of color, natural oils, and moisture
The "clean beauty" trend likely has to do with Americans becoming more cognizant of the dangerous health effects chemicals in their beauty products can have, according to Dane.
"If you went into your local drug store and you pick up any bottle of shampoo and you turn it around to see the ingredient, oftentimes you see there's 20 to 30 ingredients listed, most of them being synthetic with numerous chemicals that actually are banned in other countries," Dane said. The dermatologist said some of these chemicals include:
Sulfate, a foaming agent in haircare products that strip the hair of natural oils and coloring, and may cause irritation.
Triclosan, a chemical added to prolong shelf-life in anti-bacterial products that can interfere with the body's hormones and might be linked to cancer and reproduction problems.
Parabens, a chemical that strips the color out of hair, and can lead to dryness and irritation. Researchers are studying the effects of parabens on breast cancer.
Benzene, a known human carcinogen that may have contaminated Procter & Gamble's shampoos products in 2021, leading to a recall.
Formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen that is still used in some shampoos. Natural shampoos that damage your scalp
Baking soda, though touted on social media as a way to exfoliate your hair and scalp, contains a high pH balance, which can irritate the scalp and strip the hair, Dane said. He would avoid using baking soda as a standalone hair treatment.
Dane also warned against castor oil. Excess amount of castor oil in the hair can lead to "acute hair felting," or when the hair becomes matted, twisted, and so entangled it resembles a birds nest, according to a 2017 paper in the International Journal of Trichology.
The acidity in lemon juice can help restore dry or frizzy hair, but using too much can lead to excessive dryness and brittle hair. Plus, if lemon juice leaks out of your hair and onto other parts of your skin, interaction with the sun can cause a rash or discoloration.
Dane said while hair can benefit from natural alternatives to shampoo, overdoing it can cause negative effects on the skin and hair. "Just because something is natural, you don't wanna overdo it," Dane said.
Homemade washes you should try, from eggs to chickpea flour — but in moderation
Chickpea flour mixed with milk. Dane said research backs up the use of this centuries-old homemade shampoo in India. Chickpea flour, as well as rice flour, contains proteins that can help strengthen keratin — the protein that keeps your hair and nails strong.
Rice water. Many people in China, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia use the starchy water from soaked rice as a hair cleanser. Dane said it is "filled with nutrients" like folate, vitamin B, vitamin E, amino acids, and antioxidants that increase the moisture in your hair and scalp, adding volume and definition. Limit use to once or twice a week, he said — too often can cause flakiness.
Eggs — whether applied topically or eaten as part of your diet — can help produce shiny and healthy hair, Dane says. That's because they contain biotin, iodine, and vitamins A, D, E, and B12. The sulfur in eggs work as an antimicrobial, and yolks contain vitamins that can make brittle hair more resistant to damage. Apply and wash out an egg-and-water mixture once or twice a week, Dane says.
Coconut oil spray is fast emerging as a promising natural haircare product. One study found it may treat head lice better than chemical treatment. Studies also indicate coconut oil protect hair from sun damage by filtering UV rays. And a paper published last year found it can treat dandruff. Dane said not to use too much coconut oil, as the buildup can clog pores in your scalp, but using it once in a while and fully rinsing it out can help maintain healthy hair and scalp.
GOP candidate and anti-abortion advocate running for Michigan governor said rape victims find 'healing' by being forced to have a baby
Yelena Dzhanova Sat, August 20, 2022
Tudor Dixon is running as the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Michigan.
Tudor Dixon, the GOP nominee for Michigan governor, said rape victims and a child born of rape could form a "bond."
She used this argument to explain why she wouldn't back a a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion.
"There was healing through that baby," she said in an interview with Fox 2 Detroit.
Michigan's Republican nominee for governor said in an interview that she believes there's a "bond" that can form between a rape victim and a child born from sexual assault if forced to go through with the pregnancy.
When asked by Fox 2 Detroit anchor Roop Raj whether she'd support a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion, nominee Tudor Dixon said had spent time talking with the children of rape victim and believes their birth provides a sense of "healing."
"The bond that those two people made and the fact that out of that tragedy there was healing through that baby, it's something that we don't think about," she said in the interview.
"Those voices — the babies of rape victims — that have come forward are very powerful when you hear their story and what the truth is behind that. It's very hard to not stand up for those people," she continued, per Newsweek.
Abortion rights groups have longwarned that people who are forced to carry out a pregnancy that's a result of a rape or sexual assault can experience additional trauma or suffer other health problems.
Dixon is a mother of four and a staunch anti-abortion advocate, Insider's Isabella Zavarise reported.
At a campaign stop earlier this month, Dixon made an alarming argument in favor of putting an end to abortion, stating that abortions create "a safe haven for any type of predator out there," The Daily Beast reported.
"If you're a predator there's nothing you like more than abortion. And if you can get a girl an abortion without her parents knowing, you can keep hurting her," Dixon said.
Rooks: Alito’s arrogance may cost the Supreme Court dearly
Douglas Rooks Fri, August 19, 2022
Samuel Alito seems to think he’s sitting on the top of the world.
Fresh from his “triumph” in obliterating a half century of protection for legal abortion, he gave a speech in Rome on July 28 aptly demonstrating his enormous self-regard, what’s sometimes called “the arrogance of power.”
His theme was religious liberty, but the questions focused on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, written by Alito – the bulk of it leaked to Politico in May – and the criticism that’s poured in from around the world.
Alito mocked foreign heads of state. Of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who’d called the decision upholding a Mississippi law “a big step backwards” – Alito said “he paid the price.”
The idea that the imminent departure of Johnson, the “clown prince” best known for implementing Brexit, had anything to do with his Dobbs criticism suggests Alito’s arrogance verges on hubris.
Johnson is in disgrace because of what the tabloids called “boozy parties” at 10 Downing St. during the coronavirus lockdowns; both his own Conservative and the opposition Labour Party are foursquare behind abortion rights.
After all, others had harsher words, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who termed abortion “a fundamental right” being “undermined by the Supreme Court” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the decision “horrific.” Curiously, Alito didn’t mention them; both are serving new terms.
Now that the shock of the decision is wearing off, it’s worth asking what it means – not for the political process, taking off at warp speed – but for the court itself. The answers are not encouraging.
The notorious leak was instantly blamed, by Fox News and others, on liberal law clerks seeking to embarrass the conservative justices about the radical ruling five had approved.
It may be years before the “leaker” is revealed, but we can safely conclude it came from a senior associate justice – Alito, serving since 2005, or Clarence Thomas, confirmed in 1991; they’ve been waiting a long time.
The motive was keeping five votes in line, preventing anyone from joining Chief Justice John Roberts, who preferred a more moderate approach, and filed a weak concurrence.
Alito does have something to crow about; with Dobbs, he’s effectively leading the five-member conservative majority, sidelining the chief justice – something that’s rarely happened before.
Whether the court’s image and prestige will survive is another question.
To gauge how out of keeping Alito’s coup is to the court’s traditions – which, after all, depends on the other branches to enforce its decisions – we must go back further.
On Dec. 10, 2021, the court, shortly after oral arguments in Dobbs, decided to let stand a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks; by contrast, Mississippi set a 15-week limit.
Throughout the abortion controversies, courts have always stayed laws in conflict with precedent, but not this time – even though Texas included a bizarre enforcement protocol envisioning a form of “vigilante justice.”
Texas became a preview, as clinics shut down overnight. As Dobbs was handed down, the lives of hundreds more women were turned upside down; it was all part of the plan.
When the Supreme Court announces a revolutionary new doctrine it generally does so cautiously. The notable example is Brown v. Board of Education, the Warren Court’s unanimous 1954 decision barring racial segregation in public schools in 21 Southern and Western states; the case was from Kansas.
The implementing decision for Brown waited until the following year, and even then school desegregation went on for decades.
For Justice Alito, however, change is best accomplished overnight, as the court green-lighted any abortion restrictions, no matter how draconian – anything a state legislature might enact.
Alito’s faulty reasoning, his highly selective use of history, his unseemly hectoring of fellow justices, has all prompted comment, but it’s his blind faith in his own righteousness that’s truly disturbing.
Support for, and opposition to, abortion rights has hardly varied since Roe v. Wade, and its important successor case Casey v. Planned Parenthood.
There was no new evidence, just a new five-justice lineup willing to use its power – for the first time – to eliminate a widely accepted constitutional right.
It’s an open question whether the Supreme Court “follows the election returns,” but we do know defying the voters can have fateful consequences.
Abortion will remain contested legislative ground for years, but one must ask: Will the Dobbs decision go down in history on a par with Brown, or is it more likely to resemble the Dred Scott case – which helped bring on the Civil War?
Douglas Rooks, a Maine editor, commentator and reporter since 1984, is the author of three books, and is now researching the life and career of a U.S. Chief Justice. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net
The Education Department (ED) revoked the accreditation status of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) after years of scandals related to for-profit schools and the student loans provided to students across the country.
"ACICS is no longer a nationally recognized accrediting agency and can no longer serve as a 'gatekeeper' of institutional eligibility for federal student aid programs," the ED stated in an announcement titled: "U.S. Department of Education Terminates Federal Recognition of ACICS."
The non-profit education corporation accredited now defunct for-profit schools ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges. Many students enrolled at these schools didn’t have transferable credits nor promised degrees. ACICS was also accused of double dipping in taxpayer funded pandemic PPP loans and coronavirus stimulus payments.
"ACICS accredited the worst of the worst scam schools, including Corinthian, ITT Tech and Art Institute and a school that didn't even exist,” Thomas Gokey, an organizer with the Debt Collective, said in a statement. “These schools never should have been allowed to access federal funds, and the harm they have done to millions of students can only be repaired by full cancellation and a commitment to fund high quality public college for all."
A 2018 NBER working paper found that students who attended for-profit colleges were more likely to obtain a federal loan than those who attend a public college and three times more likely to default on student loans — driven by the fact that these students were six times less likely to receive employment after enrollment compared to their public college peers.
Students at for-profit colleges tend to take out more student loans and experience worse outcomes than public college students. (NBER)
In 2016, the Obama-era ED stripped ACICS of its status as an accrediting agency. At the time, ACICS had already accredited 237 schools that enrolled 361,000 students receiving federal financial student aid. In 2018, the Trump-era ED reinstated ACICS. However, in 2020, after a damning USA Today report detailing how ACICS accredited a school that reportedly had zero students and no faulty or classrooms, the ED launched an investigation into ACICS.
“We are talking about an entity that accredited a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network, said in a statement. “Students count on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a baseline level of quality.”
When Biden took office in January 2021, career officials at the ED recommended that ACICS, which was founded in 1912, be disempowered once again. The officials stated that ACICS “fails to demonstrate compliance” with regulations and that “provides a stand-alone basis for termination.”
US President Joe Biden listens to the national anthem at the graduation ceremony for his alma mater, the University of Delaware, at Delaware Stadium, in Newark, Delaware, on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
"Accrediting agencies are often the only barrier between predatory for-profit colleges and access to millions of dollars in federal aid," Cody Hounanian, executive director of the Student Debt Crisis Center, said in a statement. “Without proper accountability, these schools make huge profits and leave American families crushed by student debt and without a valuable degree. Today’s action is a small step towards cleaning up the exploitative elements of America’s higher education system. However, there is more work to be done to hold all bad-actors accountable and to provide financial relief to individuals who have been harmed.”
Predatory lending at for-profit schools exacerbated the student debt crisis, which has ballooned to more than $1.7 trillion.
“The Department of Education’s latest announcement regarding the ACICS is good news for both students concerned about attending a school that will provide them with adequate education, as well as for taxpayers who are worried that their money will go to waste at fraudulent institutions,” Jacob Channel, senior economist at Student Loan Hero, said in a statement.
President Biden currently faces a decision whether to cancel some student loan debt ahead of the August 31st deadline for pandemic forbearance of federal student loans.
Aarthi Swaminathan contributed to this article.
Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Money and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda
German dependence on China growing 'at tremendous pace', research shows
A container of China Shipping is loaded at a loading terminal in the port of Hamburg
Fri, August 19, 2022 By Klaus Lauer
BERLIN (Reuters) - The German economy became more dependent on China in the first half of 2022, with direct investment and its trade deficit reaching new heights, despite political pressure on Berlin to pivot away from Beijing, according to research seen by Reuters.
At the same time, growth in German exports to China weakened significantly, the German Economic Institute (IW) said in its study, citing economists pointing to a trend towards more local production in the Chinese market.
"The German economy is much more dependent on China than the other way round," said Juergen Matthes, who authored the study.
He warned that this dependence posed a political problem as Beijing's stance on the Ukraine war and its military posture towards Taiwan placed German business with the world's second-largest economy under scrutiny.
"Yet despite these dangers and problems, economic interdependencies with China have been moving in the wrong direction at a tremendous pace in the first half of 2022," the economist said.
The study found that German investment in China amounted to around 10 billion euros ($10 billion) between January and June, far exceeding the previous peak half-year value recorded since the turn of the millennium of 6.2 billion euros.
"The Chinese sales market and the profits beckoning there in the short term simply seem too attractive," Matthes said.
China's share of German imports rose to 12.4% in the first half of 2022, compared with 3.4% in 2000, while German imports of Chinese goods surged in value terms by 45.7% year on year during that six-month period, the IW found.
Germany's trade deficit with the country had leapt to almost 41 billion euros by mid-2022, the institute said, adding that the gap was set to widen further.
The IW called for a policy turnaround, urging a reduction in incentives for doing business with China and a shift towards more trade with other emerging markets, particularly in Asia.
Matthes also called on German businesses to curb their dependency on China, warning that any Western sanctions against Beijing, for example if it invaded Taiwan, would threaten particularly exposed companies with bankruptcy.
"We otherwise risk running into a 'too big too fail' situation like we saw with the banks," he said.
($1 = 0.9916 euros)
(Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Paul Carrel and David Holmes)
Overworked elephant rips Thai owner in half
Bryan Ke Fri, August 19, 2022
An annoyed elephant has reportedly ripped his owner in half using his tusks in the Thai province of Phang Nga after being forced to work under hot weather.
Officers from Takua Thung Police Station responded to a call about the elephant owner’s death at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Tha Yu subdistrict.
Upon their arrival, authorities were informed that Pom Pam, a 20-year-old male elephant, had ripped apart his owner, 32-year-old Supachai Wongfaed.
Rescue workers, officers and the village chief went to the scene of the incident and saw Wongfaed’s body in the middle of a rubber plantation. They reportedly found his corpse split in half in a pool of blood with Pom Pam standing over it.
Phang Nga Provincial Livestock officers were eventually called over to sedate the animal so that the rescue workers could retrieve the body of Wongfaed, the son of Thawon Wongfaed, Khok Charoen subdistrict's former mayor.
During their preliminary investigation, Takua Thung Police Station officers discovered that Pom Pam was forced to carry wood in the rubber plantation prior to the attack. The officers suggested that the hot weather that day made the elephant “go crazy” and attack his owner.
According to the weather forecast of Phang Nga province for August, daytime temperatures can go as high as 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit on average.
Rescuers reportedly used a dart gun to tranquilize Pom Pam and retrieve Wongfaed's body, which was later handed over to his relatives for his funeral.
Although the practice of using elephants to carry wood through forested areas was banned by Thailand's government in 1989, the practice still occurs in some areas around the country.
"[It] is yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are and always remain wild animals that can attack and kill when they are abused or overly stressed by humans,” Duncan McNair, the CEO of the charity Save The Asian Elephants, told Newsweek. “They suffer deeply, psychologically as well as physically, when broken and forced into constant severe toil in logging and related activities.”
"Save The Asian Elephants has abundant evidence of approaching 2,000 human deaths and catastrophic injuries caused by captive elephants brutalized in unnatural forced activities including tourism,” McNair added.
While Thailand has almost 30 laws placed to protect elephants, they still reportedly suffer abuse at the hands of humans, such as getting pierced by bullhooks – a stick with a metal hook at the end – to control their movement.
Elephants are typically seen as good-natured animals, but they can potentially hurt humans if they feel unsafe or distressed. One elephant made headlines in June for killing a 70-year-old woman and then crashing her funeral to trample on her corpse.'
