Wang Nam Khieo tourism business calls for measures against wild gaur attacks
Tourism business operators from Wang Nam Khieo district in Nakhon Ratchasima have put forward initiatives to tackle the escalating number of incidents involving wild gaurs. These large, wild bulls are causing havoc, attacking individuals, and wreaking destruction on crops.
The most recent incident occurred on January 11, when a mother and her seven year old daughter were assaulted by a rogue gaur while they were travelling on a motorbike along Highway No. 3052, connecting Wang Nam Khieo and Pak Chong district. The gaur charged at the motorbike, causing it to skid across the road. The young girl was caught in the gaur’s horns and was carried off into the nearby forest as the animal dashed off the road.
The terrified mother pursued the gaur, eventually finding her injured daughter roughly 100 metres deep into the forest. The child was initially taken to a local hospital but was later moved to a larger medical facility in the province for further treatment.
On Saturday, the Wang Nam Khieo tourism club called upon state agencies to consider installing additional lighting along the highway to improve visibility. There have been several incidents involving wild gaurs and motorists during the night, the club highlighted.
The group also suggested enhancing the food zones for gaurs and other wildlife within Thap Lan and Khao Yai National Parks to discourage them from venturing out of the forests, reported Bangkok Post.
The herbivore population within these two national parks has been steadily increasing, leading to food shortages. Hence, numerous animals have begun migrating towards human settlements, the club explained.
“For the welfare of animals and humans, these responses must be implemented as soon as possible so that they can live peacefully together.”
Food shortages
Annop Buanuan, who heads the office managing Khao Yai National Park’s Khao Phaeng Ma Non-Hunting Area, confirmed that the gaur involved in the recent attack had strayed from Khao Phaeng Ma in search of food.
Prawattisat Chantharathep, head of Thap Lan National Park, stated that the low-voltage electric fences installed to keep wild gaurs away from communities failed as the animals’ food sources diminished in the dry season.
In 2019, there were roughly 300 gaurs in Khao Phaeng Ma, often grazing on steep knoll slopes, according to Phattharaphon Mani-on, a veterinarian with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Following 11 recorded incidents involving wild gaurs in Wang Nam Khieo district over the past three years, 22 areas have been designated as high-risk, Annop added. He also urged motorists to maintain their speed under 20 kilometres per hour. However, he acknowledged that the warning signs are often not visible at night.
