BANGKOK, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A mahout was trampled to death by an elephant he raised in central Thailand's Sukhothai Province, reports said on Sunday.

The man, 38, was killed on Saturday near an elephant sanctuary he owned, according to police.

He was found lying his face down with bruises along his body in a corn field. His 10-year-old pachyderm was also found not far from the body, reports said.

The man has raised the bull elephant with one left tusk since it was young, and he founded the sanctuary in 2007, his wife said.

He took the elephant to graze in the field without carrying a hook. The irritable pachyderm attacked him.

It was the third elephant attack reported in the southeastern Asian country within just a week.

A woman was violently killed by wild elephants near a national park in central Thailand's Hua Hin on Friday.

A Buddhist monk was killed by wild elephants near a Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao Province in central Thailand.

It is estimated that about 3,500 domesticated elephants live in Thailand and roughly 3,340 wild elephants live in 69 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country.