Picture courtesy of NBT.

 

A man was found dead in a forest area in Chanthaburi province, with evidence suggesting he may have been killed by a wild elephant during an alleged illegal hunting trip.

 

Mr. Tantikorn Puangsakul, head of Rapid Response Unit 9 at the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, reported that at approximately 17:00 on April 23, officials from Rapid Response Unit 9 and the Khlong Khrok Forest Protection Unit were conducting a wild elephant population survey in Ban Khlong Khrok, Moo 10, Phawa Subdistrict, Kaeng Hang Maeo District. The operation was part of an ongoing census and demographic study of wild elephants in the Eastern Forest Complex, overseen by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

 

 

During the operation, the team was alerted to the discovery of a body in a nearby forested area in Ban Bo Maduea, Moo 9, also in Phawa Subdistrict. Officials from the sanctuary, local administration, and Kaeng Hang Maeo police inspected the scene, located within the proposed boundary extension of the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary and Khun Chong National Forest Reserve, about 600 metres from a known elephant trench.

 

The deceased was identified as Mr. Anan, 68, a resident of Phawa Subdistrict. Around the body, officers discovered a backpack, a headlamp, a compass, and a gun-mounted scope, but notably, no firearm was found. Authorities suspect that villagers or relatives of the deceased, who arrived at the scene before officials, may have removed the weapon.

 

Evidence around the body, including wild elephant tracks, suggests that the man may have been killed by an elephant. Authorities believe Mr. Anan was engaged in illegal hunting at the time of his death. He reportedly had a prior conviction for wildlife poaching in 2023, for which he had received a suspended sentence.

 

The body has been transferred to Kaeng Hang Maeo Hospital for autopsy.

 

Officials continue to investigate the incident while reinforcing the importance of wildlife conservation and legal enforcement in protected forest areas.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from NBT 2025-04-25.

 

 

 

Class, can you say poetic justice?