Wild Elephants Steered Away from Prachin Buri Villages

Efforts to prevent wild elephants from invading Prachin Buri communities are yielding positive results. Officials have successfully relocated “Sorapong,” a bull known for causing disturbances, to the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary.

The operation involved over 200 people, including veterinarians and animal officers, who worked from Thursday night to early Friday morning. The team tracked about 40 elephants, with Sorapong being sedated and transferred to the sanctuary in Chachoengsao.

The elephants had been wandering near the 800-rai Sadao forest, which led to increasing conflict with local residents. The department had been monitoring the situation since a fatal attack on Dec 11.

Efforts to deter the elephants previously failed, including attempts to guide them back to their habitat. Parks officials emphasized that solving this conflict is a major challenge.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has prioritized resolving elephant-human conflicts. One controversial measure introduced was birth control for wild elephants, which faced opposition due to potential health risks. However, the department assures that the program, which has already been tested with no adverse effects on seven elephants, will be carefully monitored.

The project will soon expand to areas where elephant-human interactions are frequent, such as Khao Ang Rue Nai. Since 2012, elephant attacks in Thailand have resulted in 240 deaths and 208 injuries.