Three elephants die mysteriously in Hua Hin

[webfact]

HUA HIN: -- Three elephants were found dead mysteriously at Huai Sat Yai wildlife sanctuary in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province today.

There was no trace on the three carcasses that showed the elephants were either harmed or shot by wildlife poachers or hunters.

Veterinarians and officials from from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation are inspecting the scenes to find out their mysterious deaths.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/118770

-- Thai PBS 2015-07-15

[circusman]

A thorough necropsy should solve the mystery.

[steven100]

If nothing near them is visible such as electrical wires or toxic fumes ... then one would have to suspect poison has occurred. I would visit the neighbors .... especially those who's crops were devoured in the last few days ....

[slapout]

an old family superstition ''death comes by three( "3s'') not sure where or when this belief organiated, but it has proven out in many cases. it might involve 3rd cousin or even more removed from immediate family. but i will not argue against it as i have observed and counted the wakes many/we attended with more expected.i never heard of a time factor from first to last but it seemed to be over about a year to 1 1/2 years time.

never really felt relief until i heard or saw the 3rd one drop

[PETERTHEEATER]

There was no trace on the three carcasses that showed the elephants were either harmed or shot by wildlife poachers or hunters.

Yet, TV news coverage pixelated over the tusk area of one beast but with red showing through....

[SOTIRIOS]

...that is the first step of 'land encroachment'....

..clear it of all residents....

...dunno...but elephants do not just die...and not in 3's...

[Jim walker]

A mystery in Thailand normally involves money and / or greed.

[IAMHERE]

do elephants commit suicide ?

[webfact]

Three elephants might be killed by electrocution



HUA HIN: -- Three wild elephants which were found dead mysteriously near Kaeng Krachan National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province today might be killed by electrocution.

According to veterinarians conducting autopsy on the three dead bodies of the elephants, they found that the tip of the truck of a baby elephant was cut off with sharpened blade.

This indicated that the one-year-old baby elephant might contact the high-voltage electrical wire with its trunk which villagers always used to fence off wild elephants from entering their orchard or farms.

The trunk tip might have burning trace after contacting the high-voltage wire and the wrongdoer then cut it off to conceal the guilt, the official said.

It was the nature of elder elephants to come in to help the younger and then were also electrocuted, one wildlife officer inspecting the scene said.

Meanwhile by late this evening, wildlife officials have gained a significant evidence from the scene.

The evidence indicated that the electric fence was freshly removed after the three elephants were electrocuted in order to conceal their crime.

The police will move in tomorrow to have thorough check of the area to find the wrongdoer or doers for trial.

The three elephants, all from the same family were found dead near a newly-dug pond in a village in Huai Sat Yai sub-district.

The three elephants, one male and two females, were found lying near one another.

The officials assume they were a family. The bull is believed to have aged around 10 years and it had its 30 centimeter tusks intact.

Lying next to him was a female elephant aged around 6-7 years and a one-year-old cub.

The officials believe they were a family because an elephant cub is normally dependant on their parents.

All the dead elephants had blood coming out from their eyes and mouths.

However, no gun-shot wound was found on their bodies while there was no sign that they were beaten to death. Many elephant footprints were also found around the pond.

Chief of the Kaeng Krachan National Park Mr Kamol Nuanyai told reporters that the site where the elephants were found dead was not part of the national park.

He said the dead elephants were part of the 15-member herd.

They were last seen by park officials yesterday afternoon at the border of the national park.

He said he believed the elephants died yesterday evening because they bodies began swelling and sending rotten smell.

He said the dead elephants will be moved to Hub Tao area not far from the site where autopsy would be conducted to find the exact cause of their deaths.

Initial investigation suspected that they might die from eating chemical substance or insecticide because they had been feeding near villagers’ farms.

However, a cut wound was found on a trunk of the deceased elephant cub which also leads the officials to suspect that they might have died from other causes, especially electrocution.

They say the elephants could have been electrocuted by an electric fence and the end tip of the cub’s trunk was cut off to conceal the burn wound. The officials are investigating if any high voltage eclectic fence is used in the area. They are also tracing routes that the herd uses.

The Kaeng Krachan National Park is home to three herds of 370 elephants.

In the past, many elephants from the national park have died from food poisoning and killed by hunters and villagers.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/three-elephants-might-be-killed-by-electrocution


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-16

[phil2407]

A baby elephant is a calf not a cub

[canuckamuck]

The amount of care and consideration in people here is shocking. That could have easily had been a bunch of kids or someone's grandma.

Setting up a lethally charged wire could only end up with someone or something getting killed.

That being said, why can't the government help the villagers set up proper electric fences which only give a short non lethal jolt. It is a technology which has been used for decades in the west. Works well. No one dies, animals quickly learn to stay away.

[circusman]

Necropsy is the word not autopsy.

[wump]

The amount of care and consideration in people here is shocking. That could have easily had been a bunch of kids or someone's grandma.

Setting up a lethally charged wire could only end up with someone or something getting killed.

That being said, why can't the government help the villagers set up proper electric fences which only give a short non lethal jolt. It is a technology which has been used for decades in the west. Works well. No one dies, animals quickly learn to stay away.

This has to be the most stupid thing I have ever seen in this country. Seriously.

You don't need no government to help with this. All you need is an Energizer device. This gives you non-lethal impulses of 2,000-10,000 Volts and costs you less than 1,000 Baht.

How can people be THIS uneducated. Putting mains voltage to the fence, killing each and every one in the way. I really don't get it.

[jackanapes]

if these elephants died from electrocution it must have been high voltage and whoever did this should be charged accordingly I think electrocution would be the answer I think these people are beyond belief .

[webfact]

Farm caretaker confesses to electrocute three elephants



HUA HIN: -- A farm caretaker was arrested this morning after evidenced strongly showed the three elephants died from electrocution.

Sompong Yapakdi, 45, earlier denied having known about the mysterious death of three elephants near the pond which was newly dug.

But with wired fence evidence gained from the scene, he later confessed to put up the wire fence around the pond to prevent wild animals to go in and connect the wire to electrical current.

After his confession, the police then sought court warrant to arrest and detain him.

Initial autopsy of the three elephants showed internal bleedings in the hearts, lungs, and livers which caused the three elephants to succumb to instant death simultaneously.

In case of poisoning, they would not die instantly at the same time, one veterinarian said.

All the three elephants were buried at the Hoop Tao wildlife protection office’s compound yesterday evening.

Following the electrocution of the elephants, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation officials met villagers living near the Huai Sat Yai forest and prohibit fbencing their property with wire to prevent intrusions by wild animals.

Violators will face drastic legal action, they told villagers.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farm-caretaker-confesses-to-electrocute-three-elephants


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-16

[xerostar]

The headine reads:

"Three elephants might be killed by electrocution"

Enough speculation as to how they should die.

Apparently they have already been executed for their crime.

By the village idiot

RIP poor things.

[DLang]

All the three elephants were buried at the Hoop Tao wildlife protection office’s compound

Soon to be dug up for their tusks.

[than]

Stupid farmer... elephants are endangered species

I hope he will be severely punish

[Tchooptip]

Necropsy is the word not autopsy.

necropsy |ˈnɛkrɒpsi, nɛˈkrɒpsi|

noun (pl.necropsies)

another term for autopsy.

[sammygood]

any restaurant serving elephant meat ?

[Mister Fixit]

Necropsy is the word not autopsy.

I think you mean the other way round ...

[johncat1]

If farmers must put up electric fences why don't they " Copy " the west ? And use proper battery operated electric cattle fences that are not designed to kill.

Oh I forgot that costs money and it is easier to plug it into the mains. Too bad if there are any children running around

[Mot Dang]

So bloody sad. Just a sad ending for such intelligent noble animals. I put them way ahead of some of the cruel sub-species humans that inhabit our planet.

If the scenario is true, where the baby was electrocuted, the parent elephants may have paniced on its cries, furthering entanglement of all three.

Violators will face drastic legal action, they told villagers. I hope so !

[Nobb]

My guess is that one elephant died from poision and the two other elephants died from shots to the head because they would not take the poison!

[luckizuchinni]

Necropsy is the word not autopsy.

I think you mean the other way round ...

Circusman is correct. An autopsy is conducted on people. A necropsy is conducted on any other animal.

[Doc46]

If farmers must put up electric fences why don't they " Copy " the west ? And use proper battery operated electric cattle fences that are not designed to kill.

Oh I forgot that costs money and it is easier to plug it into the mains. Too bad if there are any children running around

They know for sure this fence works,,Why spend money ?

[ronaldo0]

Intelligent animal killed by someone with single digit I.Q !!

[sweatalot]

Initial autopsy of the three elephants showed internal bleedings in the hearts, lungs, and livers which caused the three elephants to succumb to instant death simultaneously.

This does not make sense

Dying from electric current makes burns on the areas where it entered the body

and it stops the heart from beating (because the heart is triggered by electric potential which is generated in the heart = natural pacemaker

I never heard of internal bleeding caused by electricity only caused by rat poison

The story is very fishy

[magnacarta]

Intelligent animal killed by someone with single digit I.Q !!

It's a bit unfair to accuse an ant of this dreadful deed,sorry i am not making light of this,it's just that I think there is nothing a certain race of people would not stoop to.

[monkey4u]

The proper punishment for this cretin would be let him sit on his electric fence for maybe 10 minutes