Thai woman dies in attack by wild elephant in Surat Thani forest
Rescue efforts hampered by remote terrain and no mobile signal
A Thai woman lost her life in an attack by a wild elephant while travelling on a motorcycle with her son through a forest in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Officers from Khirirat Nikhom Police Station, along with rangers and rescuers from the Kusol Sattha Foundation, rushed to Thap Nok Forest within the Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuary after being alerted to the elephant attack by one of the victims, 37 year old Nanthaphop.
Nanthaphop was injured in the attack, while his mother, 63 year old Wanna, was killed by the elephant. The wild elephant had already left the scene by the time officials arrived.
Rescuers transported both Nanthaphop and his deceased mother to Vibhavadi Hospital. Nanthaphop is now reported to be in a stable condition.
He told police that he and his mother were riding their motorcycle to their rubber plantation, located on a mountain deep within Thap Nok Forest. On their way back, they encountered the elephant, which trampled his mother, causing fatal injuries.
The Director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, instructed Khlong Yan Wildlife Sanctuary officials to compensate Wanna’s family and provide support for her funeral.
MGR Online reported that the rescue operation was delayed due to the difficult terrain and dense forest. The lack of a phone signal also hindered communication and locating the victims. It reportedly took more than five hours to transport them to the hospital.
In a separate incident, a wild elephant was recently reported in Thap Lan National Park in the central province of Prachin Buri. Residents sought help from local officials after a wild elephant entered their plantation and damaged crops while searching for food.
According to a DailyNews report yesterday, July 7, over 100 wild elephants were seen near Wang Ai Pong Community in Na Di district, Prachin Buri. Rangers used smoke to keep the animals from approaching residential areas.
Ranger teams were also deployed to high-risk spots to monitor the movement of the herd and ensure the safety of residents.
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