Prachin Buri: Bull elephant successfully returned to natural habitat
Efforts to address the growing issue of wild elephants encroaching on communities in Prachin Buri province have yielded positive results, as officials successfully returned a notorious bull elephant to its natural habitat.
The operation, which took place recently, involved more than 200 individuals, including veterinarians and animal husbandry officers, all working under the guidance of Atthapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).
The operation started on Thursday, January 2 and concluded early yesterday with the sedation and relocation of Sorapong, the bull elephant, to the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao province. These efforts followed a tragic incident on December 11, where a local lost his life in an elephant attack, prompting the DNP to track the wandering herd of approximately 40 elephants.
The elephants had been gathering in the 800-rai Sadao forest, posing a significant threat to nearby communities. Despite previous attempts to drive the elephants back to the sanctuary in Phanom Sarakham district, the animals continued to venture into inhabited areas.
“Amid the confrontation between the wild elephants and local communities, finding proper measures to end the problem has been a major challenge.”
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has prioritised resolving this human-elephant conflict, recognising the urgency of the situation.
One proposed solution, a birth control plan for wild elephants, has faced opposition due to concerns about potential health risks. However, Atthapol assured that the method would not harm the elephant population and would be carefully monitored by experts.
Last year, the department launched a pilot project with Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, administering birth control vaccines to seven wild elephants without adverse effects. Plans are now underway to expand this initiative to areas with frequent human-elephant interactions, such as the Khao Ang Rue Nai sanctuary, reported Bangkok Post.
Since 2012, Thailand has witnessed 240 fatalities and 208 injuries resulting from elephant attacks, underscoring the importance of finding effective solutions to this ongoing conflict.
