Body of Rescued Wild Elephant Found in Abandoned Orchard

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Residents of Sarika Subdistrict in Mueang Nakhon Nayok District were met with a distressing scene after following the source of a foul odour that had lingered for two days. Upon investigation, they discovered the decomposing body of a wild elephant in an abandoned orchard and immediately alerted Khao Yai National Park officials.

 

The deceased elephant was identified as a male, previously rescued by conservation authorities just a week prior. On 23 March, the elephant had been seen standing by the roadside along the Nakhon Nayok–Sarika route with a snare tightly wrapped around its trunk. A rescue operation led by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and a team of veterinarians successfully removed the trap after tranquilising the animal. It was then released back into the wild.

 

However, on the evening of 30 March, local officials, veterinarians, and police confirmed that the same elephant had been found dead in the very area where it had been freed.

 

Sarika Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO) President Chumphonpat Laohapanich, alongside DNP officers and the wildlife monitoring unit, arrived at the scene to oversee the recovery operation. Due to the elephant’s advanced state of decomposition, gases had built up within the carcass, necessitating controlled puncturing before transportation could begin.

 

At around 21.00, Nida Khanayangam, President of the Nakhon Nayok Provincial Administrative Organisation, arrived and coordinated the use of a backhoe and a ten-wheeled truck to move the body to Khao Yai National Park’s Unit K.Y.13. The transport process, took several hours, concluding at midnight.

 

Veterinarians will now conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the elephant’s demise was related to its prior injury or if other factors played a role.

 

While the elephant’s death has raised concerns, officials stress the importance of waiting for the autopsy results before drawing conclusions. Conservationists have long warned about the dangers of poaching and human-wildlife conflicts, both of which pose significant threats to Thailand’s wild elephant population.

 

The death of this elephant serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges facing wildlife conservation efforts in the region.

 

Related Article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1355671-injured-khao-yai-elephant-rescued-from-snare-trap/

 

 

-- 2025-04-01