Tourists warned of aggressive elephants at Khao Yai National Park

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Tourists warned of aggressive elephants at Khao Yai National Park

 

Security has been increased for tourists at Khao Yai National Park to safeguard them from wild elephants, as several aggressive male bulls are in heat for mating.

 

Park official Somchat Saeli, said on Friday that Plai Junior, a 20-30 year old male elephant that is in heat has roamed out of forest for three days now, and has been seen wandering around Thung Pong Kwang meadow near Sai Sorn reservorr in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district. 

 

Park officials have been patrolling the road that cuts through the park in Prachin Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima to look for wild elephants and advise tourists on how to observe the wildlife safely.

 

Somchat said park officials have put up warning signs in Thai and English to advise tourists what to do if they encounter a wild elephant while driving. They should stop their car at least 300 metres away from the elephant and, if the animal moves towards them, they should slowly reverse the vehicle and pull over at a safe distance until the elephant goes away. 

 

He said visitors must not use flash photography to take pictures, must not use the car horn or make any loud noises to spook the animal and they must keep the car engine running at all times. 

 

If visitors encounter an elephant after dark, the driver must use low headlights, he said. If they find themselves surrounded by elephants, they must remain calm and try to find a route with fewer animals blocking their path and leave as fast as possible.

“You can observe the elephant’s mood easily. If it is in a good mood, it will shake its ears and its tail. If it is in a bad mood, its ears will not shake, its tail will point upward and its trunk will look stiff and still,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312281

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-14

 

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Half a mongrel, he just looks horney to me?

Edited April 14, 2017 by Chris Lawrence

[ratcatcher]

Presumably then, Khao Yai Park is on the musth see list of tourist destinations in Thailand at this time..

[ezzra]

 

You'd think that by now Thai people will learn to respect those animals

and their habitats, or maybe they think that elephants should

be in a zoo and not in the forests... go figure what ate Thais thinking....

[Ron19]

Tourists warned of aggressive elephants at Khao Yai National Park

Off topic post removed. This topic is about avoiding Elephants not scams, please keep on topic.

[pentap]

Elephants should be kept in a large reserve designed for wild animals, preferably in their native environments and not in forced captivity, especially places such as zoos and tourist parks, for the pleasure of tourists and the financial gains and greed of officials their hanger ons!

These animals are becoming more and more in danger and should be treated with the respect they deserve. That applies to all captive animals... Bloody disgrace!

Take humans away from their materialistic world and place them into parks and zoos, and see how happy and dangerous they may become?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Bluespunk]

Anybody think to warn the elephants about "Facebook like pursuing" morons rampaging through their natural environment in cars they think are more powerful than the elephants?

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, pentap said:

Elephants should be kept in a large reserve designed for wild animals, preferably in their native environments and not in forced captivity, especially places such as zoos and tourist parks, for the pleasure of tourists and the financial gains and greed of officials their hanger ons!

These animals are becoming more and more in danger and should be treated with the respect they deserve. That applies to all captive animals... Bloody disgrace!

Take humans away from their materialistic world and place them into parks and zoos, and see how happy and dangerous they may become?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

I think you may misunderstand. Khao Yai National Park is the natural environment for elephants. They were not put there. Humans have invaded their habitat.

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, pentap said:

Elephants should be kept in a large reserve designed for wild animals, preferably in their native environments and not in forced captivity, especially places such as zoos and tourist parks, for the pleasure of tourists and the financial gains and greed of officials their hanger ons!

These animals are becoming more and more in danger and should be treated with the respect they deserve. That applies to all captive animals... Bloody disgrace!

Take humans away from their materialistic world and place them into parks and zoos, and see how happy and dangerous they may become?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

"Elephants should be kept in a large reserve designed for wild animals..."

I think most people would agree with the theme of your entire  post, however, nobody "designs" the parks, they are there and are the elephants' natural habitat. It is only because roads have been punched through the "national parks" that tourists and motorists in general come into contact with these animals. Khao Yai park is particularly vulnerable because of its location between the easten seaboard towns and the Isaan plateau etc.

Historically, in Asia, elephants have been tamed (cruelly in many cases) to conform to man's wishes and demands both for war and entertainment. In southern Africa game parks exist where tourists are allowed to see the wild animals in their natural environment, and it is always amusing to view YouTube videos of some clowns totally ignoring the safety rules and getting their vehicles or persons damaged and in some cases, killed.   

Fortunately, for the Thai elephants and other wildlife, there is still a vast forest, national park in western Thailand, with few roads and settlements in of Kanchanburi province, west of Suphanburi province and east of the Burmese border.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Oligabba]

Such clear and apparently sage advice from Park official Somchat Saeli. Wish the rest of Thai bureaucracy were so understanding and helpful.

 

[Mook23]

5 hours ago, pentap said:

Elephants should be kept in a large reserve designed for wild animals, preferably in their native environments and not in forced captivity, especially places such as zoos and tourist parks, for the pleasure of tourists and the financial gains and greed of officials their hanger ons!

These animals are becoming more and more in danger and should be treated with the respect they deserve. That applies to all captive animals... Bloody disgrace!

Take humans away from their materialistic world and place them into parks and zoos, and see how happy and dangerous they may become?


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Are you a vegan? I hope you are after reading your post...

[yellowboat]

12 hours ago, ezzra said:

 

You'd think that by now Thai people will learn to respect those animals

and their habitats, or maybe they think that elephants should

be in a zoo and not in the forests... go figure what ate Thais thinking....

Some Thais in the rural areas find them to be pests.  They are key in reforestation and fighting "global warming".  Go figure goes a very long way in the whole argument.   

[ChakaKhan]

Dont want a horny elephant chasing you thats for sure..