German cyclist, 69, gored by elephant in Thailand

A German pensioner was recovering in hospital today (August 26) after being gored by an escaped elephant on his morning bike ride.

Hans Dieter Sherding, 69, was cycling in Chonburi, Thailand, on Saturday (August 24) morning when he noticed the animal.

The elderly ex-pat stopped to watch the beast, ignoring calls from locals to run away.

Moments later the thirty-eight-year-old elephant, named Phlai Kham Khun, charged at the terrified pensioner.

The aggressive elephant knocked Hans from his bike then thrust his tusk into the cyclist's left calf - ripping open the skin and leaving the bones exposed.

Hans was found sprawled on the ground in pain with his bike next to him in woodland in the Bang Lamung district near Pattaya City.

Locals scared away the elephant and onlooker Boonsom Thonglod, 47, called the emergency services. The German was taken to Bang Lamung Hospital.

Boonsom told how he tried to warn the cyclist about the elephant.

He said: "I told him to stay away, but instead of riding away he stopped his bicycle and stared at the giant animal.

"I'm not sure is he was ignoring me or he was just unable to understand Thai."

The elephant's mahout Bird, 47, said the animal - which he bought last month for one million Thai Baht ( 26,6000GBP / 32,700USD) - escaped and he was unable to bring him under control.

Bird said: "My my elephant was having a bath to cool down then he escaped. I couldn't catch him and he ran at the foreigner.''

The elephant was shot with tranquilliser darts and monitored before he regained consciousness.