Buriram: Bull elephant shot by farmers

[webfact]

Bull elephant shot by farmers



BURIRAM: -- Veterinarians have managed to save the life of a wild elephant from the jungles of Buriram province after it was shot and wounded.

But the buried bullets are still not removed as it was too dangerous at this time for the 20-year-old jumbo could bleed to death from the shot wounds.

Veterinarian Phatrapon Manee-on, popularly known as ‘Mor Lot’, and his team of veterinarians spent a hard time before finally being able to administer three syringes of anesthetics to the bull elephant in order to tend to its wounds.

The animal was shot six times with a shotgun and its wounds have become severely infected.

The team yesterday had to administer large doses of antibiotics and vitamins to its wounds and have managed to stabilize its condition.

The bullets or shotgun pellets have yet to be removed however as doctors fear removing them at present would cause massive bleeding.

Whether or not the animal survives remains to be seen as in the past no elephant has survived such trauma, he said.

As for the reason behind the shooting, authorities believe that the shots were fired not by poachers attempting to get its tusks but were more likely shot by farmers attempting to drive the animal away from their farms or plantations.

The animal’s condition at present remains stable and authorities are in the midst of finding the shooter so that he could be charged.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bull-elephant-shot-farmers


-- Thai PBS 2015-02-06

[HeijoshinCool]

You must be borderline retarded to believe a shotgun would bring down an elephant.

Selfish, uncompassionate jerks.

[NeverSure]

A typical shotgun should scare it away though. Just the noise might do it.

I have a shotgun that would drop that elephant like a load of bricks - one shot.

[siampolee]

Ah the way to treat an animal that is supposed to be sacred to the Thai's, all that was needed was a few shots over the head of the elephant and it would have left.

As stated a shotgun is totally useless on such a large animal, indeed a large bore elephant gun would be the necessary tool.

[Briggsy]

A lot of those folk out there in the Isaan countryside, despite having the big pick-up, at least 2 smartphones and firearms, are not far removed from a hunting and foraging existence and all the lack of emotional and intellectual development that entails. They need to be managed firmly.

[NeverSure]

Ah the way to treat an animal that is supposed to be sacred to the Thai's, all that was needed was a few shots over the head of the elephant and it would have left.

As stated a shotgun is totally useless on such a large animal, indeed a large bore elephant gun would be the necessary tool.

Depends on the shotgun. I agree Thais would probably have a bird gun.

I have a Remington 1100 semi automatic 12 gauge that I take fishing in Alaska in case we have competition from a grizzly bear. Sometimes bears are fishing too and it's nervous time.

This shotgun has a fully rifled barrel, rifle sights, and fires a Remington Premier Accutip bonded sabot slug. The slug is fully copper jacketed, hollow point, travels 1850 feet per second (about 600 meters per second) and would knock a bear clear off its feet. After the slug expands upon impact, it is 1.5 inches (4 cm) in diameter.

All shotguns aren't equal.

[godwish4love]

Now killing the Elephant is bad, what if the Elephant is trying to kill someone and they happen to scare the elephant away with the gun shot, people now value animal than Human being this days, i see many occasion where someone kill his fellow human just because the man kill his dog or pet. What a life we are living in.

[NeverSure]

Now killing the Elephant is bad, what if the Elephant is trying to kill someone and they happen to scare the elephant away with the gun shot, people now value animal than Human being this days, i see many occasion where someone kill his fellow human just because the man kill his dog or pet. What a life we are living in.

If an enraged elephant was trying to kill someone, an ordinary shotgun would be of no use other than the extreme noise it makes. It makes no sense to pump several ordinary rounds of shot into an elephant when firing over its head would do the same thing.

In the picture it appears that veterinarians are working on the hindquarters of the elephant which would be a sign the elephant was facing away. I don't know what else happened.

It is cruel to wound an animal if it isn't necessary. I agree with the premise that human life is more valuable than animal life but I don't believe in cruelty to animals if it is just irresponsible.

[isanbirder]

The jungles of Buriram? Where are they?

There are a few forest parks, but jungles?

[wabothai]

I thought the issue here was about a farmer trying to kill or scare an elephant. There are plenty of folks who never have seen a gun and wish they will never see one. The only gun I ever saw was in the army and I did not like it.

Why brag about what you had or have? we (most of us) don't care to know.

The farmer could have called the authorities, but most probable does not care about animal live as many farmers don't. In my neighbourhood there is little respect. Buddhism ?

The farmer should be charged.

[Briggsy]

The jungles of Buriram? Where are they?

There are a few forest parks, but jungles?

Ta Phraya National Park and Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary definitely have elephants. These two protected areas are contiguous. Lots of pristine evergreen forest. Amphoe Nohn Din Daeng.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed.

[lumply]

I'm confused, so time to move on.

[Crazy chef 1]

Ah the way to treat an animal that is supposed to be sacred to the Thai's, all that was needed was a few shots over the head of the elephant and it would have left.

As stated a shotgun is totally useless on such a large animal, indeed a large bore elephant gun would be the necessary tool.

Depends on the shotgun. I agree Thais would probably have a bird gun.

I have a Remington 1100 semi automatic 12 gauge that I take fishing in Alaska in case we have competition from a grizzly bear. Sometimes bears are fishing too and it's nervous time.

This shotgun has a fully rifled barrel, rifle sights, and fires a Remington Premier Accutip bonded sabot slug. The slug is fully copper jacketed, hollow point, travels 1850 feet per second (about 600 meters per second) and would knock a bear clear off its feet. After the slug expands upon impact, it is 1.5 inches (4 cm) in diameter.

All shotguns aren't equal.

Though that means your one is bigger than theirs...great

[Toknarok]

Isaan farmers have a hard enough time of it at present with crop prices without having to deal with marauding elephants. We don't know what happened, maybe the farmer did try to scare off the jumbo by just firing into the air without success. Remember the bull elephant that attacked cars because drivers blew theior horns at it? Would National Parks reimburse the farmer for loss of his crops? I doubt it. Nevertheless I hope the creature survives.

[ttthailand]

I once had a gf in Buriram who had about 50 Rai covered with fruit and pale oil trees. Elephants would come into the land all the time. They would use fireworks, bang pots and pans, hit them with spot lights, but the elephants were use to this noise and would just look and then move to another part of the land. Fences were no use as they just knocked them down. I remember going into the land one morning to find about 20 trees ripped apart, huge expense and loss of money. I have even seen entire houses (shacks) knocked down.

Shooting them is wrong but I can understand the farmers trying to protect their land and sometimes homes and children.

[SlyAnimal]

Some posts, and their quoted replies, have been removed for trolling and off topic comments.

It's completely unnecessary to insult other members with your posts, so please don't do it.

[Gonsalviz]

Ah the way to treat an animal that is supposed to be sacred to the Thai's, all that was needed was a few shots over the head of the elephant and it would have left.

As stated a shotgun is totally useless on such a large animal, indeed a large bore elephant gun would be the necessary tool.

Never heard of 3" Magnum slugs?

[Subpar]

^He or she might have, but 1000% for sure your typical Buriram farmer hasn't!.