11 elephants died, 2 survived Khao Yai waterfall

[webfact]

11 elephants died, 2 survived Khao Yai waterfall

By THE NATION

 

Photo Credit:Disaster Response Association

 

Drones have located the bodies of 11 elephants that fell into the water at Haew Narok falls in Khao Yai National Park on October 5, while only two of the herd have survived.

 

A barricade will be erected to prevent other wildlife from falling in, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa.

 

“At this point we can confirm that this herd had 13 elephants, 11 fell into the waterfall and died, while only 2 survived and are back in the forest,” Varawut said. Five elephant bodies were found on October 5, with another five later located by the drones along the river.

 

 

A press conference confirming the extent of the tragedy was held on Tuesday morning at Khao Yai National Park’s Nern Hom checkpoint, hosted by Nakhon Nayok governor Nattaphong Sirichana and Prachin Buri governor Phibun Hatthakitkosol, along with officials of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation as well as the Disaster Response Association.

 

The park spans Prachin Buri and Nakhon Nayok provinces.

 

Varawut expressed his sadness about the herd’s drowning, but viewed the danger posed by the falls as beyond anyone’s power to control.

 

“I have therefore ordered the construction of a barricade to prevent wildlife from falling into the waterfall,” he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30377191

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-08

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[sweatalot]

What a tragedy

[Puchaiyank]

This is unacceptable!  Someone should get fired for herding these elephants to certain death...????

[Barry343]

This seems to happen on too many occasions in different parts of wild Thailand. Maybe the well-organised elephant sanctuaries is a safer option,

[Enoon]

4 hours ago, Barry343 said:

This seems to happen on too many occasions in different parts of wild Thailand. Maybe the well-organised elephant sanctuaries is a safer option,

 

Its nature, wild, "in tooth and claw".

 

Now you know how paleontologists find themselves digging up a composite pile of bones, from multiple animals of the same species.

 

This how it has been happening for millions of years.

 

 

[btunes]

Beyond Sad

 

[canopy]

Let's not forget this was no natural tragedy. The elephants did not go to the cliffs willingly and were smart enough to never go there on their own. They were deliberately herded by park rangers and forced to this dangerous point where they were scared and died. Why is no one talking about this?

 

[jobsworth]

in the movie the beach was it not this Khao Yai waterfall that they jumped off and survived?

also when i went on a tour called jungle adventure were we not taken to the same waterfall and told that some falangs had jumped off this waterfall? we were invited to do the same but i respectfully declined.

[hkt83100]

19 minutes ago, jobsworth said:

in the movie the beach was it not this Khao Yai waterfall that they jumped off and survived?

Sorry no. That was the Haew Su Wat Waterfall. Different from Haew Narok Waterfall which is located further down south.

[tjinks]

Herded by park rangers?

[topt]

1 hour ago, canopy said:

Let's not forget this was no natural tragedy. The elephants did not go to the cliffs willingly and were smart enough to never go there on their own. They were deliberately herded by park rangers and forced to this dangerous point where they were scared and died. Why is no one talking about this?

 

And the source of your belief is?

Why would they have been deliberately herded there?

[Dukeleto]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Let's not forget this was no natural tragedy. The elephants did not go to the cliffs willingly and were smart enough to never go there on their own. They were deliberately herded by park rangers and forced to this dangerous point where they were scared and died. Why is no one talking about this?

 

Can you supply a link to the source of your side of the story?

[30la]

Would it be interesting to know why these elephants fell, were chased? Hunted?
The elephant is a very intelligent and attentive animal, I don't think they made a mass suicide!

[kwak250]

1 hour ago, hkt83100 said:

Sorry no. That was the Haew Su Wat Waterfall. Different from Haew Narok Waterfall which is located further down south.

You mean still in the park though?

 

[Thingamabob]

Massive cover up going on. We will never get the truth. What is inescapable is these animals were chased to their death.

[0815]

A barricade WILL be erected ?
Why didn't erect it long time ago ?
Did the leader of the herd not ask for it ? So he is responsible !

RIP big amazing animals ????

[Samuel Smith]

4 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Massive cover up going on. We will never get the truth. What is inescapable is these animals were chased to their death.

You're the second to mention this.  Anyone got a link to this.  I missed it.  That's a request, not sarcastic comment.

[HHTel]

3 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

You're the second to mention this.  Anyone got a link to this.  I missed it.  That's a request, not sarcastic comment.

This has probably been taken from the original report

 

Quote

On Friday October 4, officials herded a large group of wild elephants along Highway No 3077 [leading to Prachi Buri city] back to Khao Yai forest,” he said. “However, early this morning [Saturday], park rangers heard elephants bellowing from the creek leading to the waterfall.

The main culprit is deforestation which have driven them from their natural habitat.

[mauGR1]

I read a couple of days ago, on international news, that 2, then 5 elephants drowned in Khao Yai Park while trying to save a baby elephant, now it's 11.

Guess we'll never know the truth.

[NanLaew]

23 minutes ago, HHTel said:

28 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

You're the second to mention this.  Anyone got a link to this.  I missed it.  That's a request, not sarcastic comment.

This has probably been taken from the original report

 

Quote

On Friday October 4, officials herded a large group of wild elephants along Highway No 3077 [leading to Prachi Buri city] back to Khao Yai forest,” he said. “However, early this morning [Saturday], park rangers heard elephants bellowing from the creek leading to the waterfall.

The main culprit is deforestation which have driven them from their natural habitat.

It does appear that the earlier report of park rangers herding elephants off the highway due to concerns they could cause a traffic accident around 3 A.M. has been missed in the follow up. Haew Narok waterfall is only about 700 meters from the highway.

 

Is 3077 particularly busy overnight?

[hotchilli]

Something not quite right about all this... an elephant might stumble and fall at the waterfall, but 10 others falling trying to rescue it, very doubtful.

 

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, Dukeleto said:

Can you supply a link to the source of your side of the story?

There was a report after the first elephant drowning that the elephants had been herded away from the Highway 3077. I asked at that time if that could have been the cause of this sad episode. No answer was forthcoming. Perhaps further investigation is needed.

[NanLaew]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Something not quite right about all this... an elephant might stumble and fall at the waterfall, but 10 others falling trying to rescue it, very doubtful.

 

You don't know your elephants.

[Chongalulu]

"... viewed the danger posed by the falls as beyond anyone’s power to control.

 

“I have therefore ordered the construction of a barricade to prevent wildlife from falling into the waterfall,” he said."

Does he not see the irony of his self contradiction in this statement?

 

[Almer]

Drowning appears the wrong word, did they not fall ?

[Cereal]

4 hours ago, canopy said:

Let's not forget this was no natural tragedy. The elephants did not go to the cliffs willingly and were smart enough to never go there on their own. They were deliberately herded by park rangers and forced to this dangerous point where they were scared and died. Why is no one talking about this?

 

Because Thais and their next-door neighbours, the Lao, never admit they're wrong. They'd lose face....but only amongst themselves. They lack the critical thinking abilities to even wonder whether the rest of the world thinks they're losing face by lying.  And that, is the true sadness here. 

[Almer]

I am no expert and do not claim to be but i  read many times different things about this wonderful animal, one is that they are  fiercely protective of each other and if as reported a calf slipped over the edge the herd would have gone to its aid, with a calf in tow i do not after reading articles believe you will force a herd to go any way it doesn't want, most people will see this as a tragic accident unless proven other wise, but as we all know it will not be proven other wise.

[Torrens54]

Earliest reports mentioned the Elephants had been herded into the park.

For some strange reason, there has been no further information provided. 

[MaksimMislavsky]

7 hours ago, canopy said:

Let's not forget this was no natural tragedy. The elephants did not go to the cliffs willingly and were smart enough to never go there on their own. They were deliberately herded by park rangers and forced to this dangerous point where they were scared and died. Why is no one talking about this?

 

Wouldn't be so sure about them having been herded by park rangers, but, yes, they should have been prompted by some external influence, indeed. A bunch of elephants are highly unlikely to plunge into ravine with clearly audible whitewater stream in it for no reason on their own accord (or whim?).

By the way, the place lived up to its name. Haew Narok = Hell of a Ravine, literally

[mrjohn]

An earlier report which I read suggested that the elephants were driven by park rangers towards the waterfall to stop them wandering onto the road. The priorities are clearly wrong here.

The road through Khao Yai is packed with traffic especially on holiday weekends.

Perhaps I’m a little old-fashioned but I thought that a “National Park” was meant to be a haven for wildlife but Khao Yai has become little more than a playground for idiotic Bangkok day-trippers .