Thap Lan Park burns 600 rai of forest to lure elephants back
The Thap Lan National Park has set fire to 600 rai of forest to encourage new grass growth, aiming to increase food sources for wild elephants and draw them back into their natural habitat.
Head of Thap Lan National Park Prawit Chanthatep informed reporters yesterday that Yosawat Thiansawat, Director of the Conservation Area Management Office 1 (Prachin Buri), along with Kriengkrai Phothingam, Head of the Prachin Buri Fire Control Station, led a team to conduct a controlled burn at Phamen, located in Kaeng Dinso subdistrict, Na Di district, Prachin Buri province, within the national park.
Yosawat explained that the park has proposed a plan to manage wild elephant issues and increase wildlife food sources to prevent future incidents of elephants straying from protected areas. This initiative, conducted at Phamen, employs eco-tourism principles to seek budget support from the Eastern Province Group 2 fund and conservation network organisations. Managing fuel sources in grassy areas like this aims to increase food availability for wildlife, especially wild elephants that have been troubling residents in Thung Pho and Kaeng Dinso subdistricts of Na Di district, reported KhaoSod.
By using controlled burning to reduce fuel and promote new grass growth, the initiative not only provides food for the elephants but also attracts them back into the natural forest area.
Farmers near Thap Lan National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima face a challenging new year as they work tirelessly to protect their crops from wild elephants. As the rest of the nation celebrates, around 40 farmers in Lampiek subdistrict, Khon Buri district, are taking turns to guard their fields against the rampaging elephants.
A recent incident saw elephants damaging 40 jackfruit trees belonging to Boonkong Mile, alongside cassava crops in Ban Nong Khae Sai. Chaiyan Uansa-art, the local leader of tambon Lampiek, highlighted the need for continuous patrolling near the park’s borders.
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