Community Wild Elephant Dies After Becoming Trapped in Kui Buri National Park

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

A wild elephant believed to be between 50 and 60 years old has died after becoming trapped in a muddy waterhole in Kui Buri National Park. Authorities later discovered a bullet embedded in the animal’s body and signs of a severe internal infection, possibly contributing to its death.

 

Mr. Anuchart Art-han, head of Kui Buri National Park, reported that on the evening of 19 April, a concerned local resident, Mr. Narong, notified park officials after spotting the elephant stuck in a muddy pool near Ban Ruam Thai, Moo 7, Hat Kham Subdistrict, Kui Buri District. The animal was still alive at the time, lying on its side in waist-deep water, struggling and raising its trunk.

 

 

Park rangers attempted to locate the elephant using drones, but efforts were hampered by heavy rain and poor visibility. The following day, on 20 April, the team resumed their search and found the elephant in the same position, with slight movement in its ears, legs, and trunk. A veterinary team from the Office of Conservation Area 3 (Phetchaburi Branch) was called in to assess the elephant’s condition and assist with the rescue. The elephant died later that afternoon at around 16:30.

 

On 21 April, officials from the park, local veterinary units, police from Yang Chum Police Station, and local district officers returned to the site to conduct a full examination of the carcass. The elephant was identified as a female weighing about 3,500 kilograms.

 

Upon inspection, a 10 cm wound was found on the right hind leg. The elephant appeared emaciated, with cloudy eyes and pale tissue throughout the body.

 

Using a metal detector, the team discovered foreign objects embedded in the body. A post-mortem revealed a rusted, spiral-shaped bullet and a spherical metal fragment lodged about 10 cm deep in the muscle tissue. A large abscess approximately 15 cm in diameter was also found near a knee joint, filled with pus. Signs of advanced infection were evident in the pale yellow tissue, trunk, tongue, and inner mouth lining.

 

Officials concluded that the elephant suffered from a severe infection caused by the old, embedded bullet wound, combined with age-related immune weakness. The bullet was estimated to have been inside the elephant for over a year.

 

Following the autopsy, the elephant’s remains were buried to prevent the potential spread of disease. Authorities continue to investigate the origin of the bullet and whether the elephant had previously been a target of poaching.

 

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Matichon.

 

-- 2025-04-23

 

 

 

[Tropicalevo]