Woman says elephant bit her while posing for photo with animal at resort

WASHINGTON (TND) — A woman from New Hampshire said she was hurt when an elephant bit her as she was posing for a photo with the animal at a resort, according to reports.

Beth Bogar told WMURa trainer was showing her how to properly pose with the elephant when her arm was "pushed" into the animal's mouth.

I couldn't get my arm out," Bogar told the media outlet on Sunday. "I could just hear cracking and I just started to panic."

It allegedly happened when Bogar was vacationing in Bali.

A day after the report aired, Laura Hagen, who is the director of captive wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States, issued a statement.

This person is lucky to be alive," Hagen said.

Hagen added that "responsibly run zoos and sanctuaries never allow the public, or even trained staff, to have direct contact with these powerful and unpredictable wild animals. Yet, circuses, roadside zoos, pseudo-sanctuaries and other exotic animal menageries offer elephant rides and photo ops with wild elephants who are often suffering from abusive training and horrendous living conditions. An incident like this one could not have happened in the Granite State because New Hampshire wisely prohibits public contact with elephants– as do at least four other states in the U.S. including Kentucky, Maine, Nevada and Tennessee."

According to Hagen, 17 people across the U.S. have been killed by elephants. She also said at least 140 people, including 31 children, have been injured since 1990.

"The Humane Society of the United States warns that wild animals are not props, should not interact with people, live terrible lives being used for profit, and these experiences are certainly not worth the dangers involved for the animal or the person," she said in the statement. "Humane Society International works globally to promote humane wildlife coexistence and responsible eco-tourism, which does not include interacting with elephants for a photo op.”