An elephant has killed a veterinarian as she was taking photos at a tourist spot on the Indonesian island of Java.

Octavia Warahapsari, 25, took care of trained elephants at the Gajah Mungkur scenic reservoir in central Java.

An official at the reservoir said one of the two Sumatran elephants used for tourist treks charged Ms Warahapsari while she was taking photographs.

She tried to flee but the elephant caught her in its trunk and threw her to the ground. She died on Wednesday after suffering severe injuries.

Only 3,000 Sumatran elephants are believed to remain in the wild. They are threatened by shrinking habitats and poaching.

The two elephants were brought to the scenic reservoir from a zoo in a neighbouring town last month in a bid to attract more visitors.

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