Tragedy in Forest as Wild Elephant Kills Mother and Injures Adult Son

Picture courtesy of Workpoint.

A mother has been killed and her son seriously injured after they were attacked by a wild elephant in a remote forested area in Kanchanaburi. The tragic incident occurred while the pair were foraging for local fruits in a mountainous area near their village.

The victims, identified as 61-year-old Mrs Wannana and her 37-year-old son Mr Nantapop, were reportedly returning from collecting ma waengberries when they unexpectedly encountered the elephant. According to officials, the two were unable to flee in time and were violently attacked.

Mrs Wannana was pronounced dead at the scene, while her son sustained serious injuries, including a fractured leg and back pain. Although conscious, he was in considerable distress when rescuers reached him. He was later transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

The pair’s motorcycle was also heavily damaged during the incident.

Authorities said the remote location of the incident, deep within a steep and rugged forested mountain, posed significant challenges to the rescue operation. Reaching the victims required a 4WD vehicle, followed by travel on motorbike and then a three-kilometre trek on foot. The rescue team also had to contend with the absence of mobile phone or radio signal in the area, severely hampering communication.

It reportedly took over five hours for rescue personnel to extract Mr Nantapop and retrieve his mother’s body.

Local officials have expressed concern over the increasing frequency of encounters between humans and wild elephants in rural Thailand, as habitat loss continues to push wildlife closer to agricultural and residential areas.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Workpoint 2025-07-08