Thailand: 11 elephants killed in an attempt to save each other

It is believed that first of all, a child of a herd of elephants fell below the height and then other elephants also fell in an attempt to save it.

Local authorities of Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand initially saw only six elephants dead in the weekend incident.

But the other five elephants were spotted by the drone. The waterfall near which these dead elephants were seen is called ‘Waterfall of Hell’ in the local language.

According to the Reuters news agency, park officials reported in the weekend that a three-year-old elephant was among the elephants killed.

Local official Badin Chansarikam told the agency, “We think elephants were trying to go to the other side of the river.”

He said that Probably, a small elephant may have fallen down and the big elephants might have tried to save it but instead, they may have fallen into the water.

However, according to local media, the reason for the fall of the elephants has not yet been known.

When six dead elephants were first discovered in the weekend, two other living elephants trapped in the rocks were successfully taken out.

The park rangers have started feeding the rescued elephants with supplements so that they can get strength and return to the forest.

However, experts warn that these two elephants may find it difficult to survive as elephants depend on their large herds for protection and food.

Due to these incidents, the remaining elephants can also get an emotional shock. Elephants are animals that have been seen expressing grief.

The park is home to around 300 wild elephants. Apart from this, many wildlife including bears and langurs also live here and it is very popular among tourists.

National park officials are trying to get the bodies out of the river because it is feared that the water of the river may be polluted due to the bodies of elephants.

According to the Bangkok Post, this is the biggest incident of elephants being killed simultaneously in Thailand in recent times.

Similar incidents have also taken place in the east near the ‘waterfall of hell’. In 1992, a herd of eight elephants was killed from this place. At that time this matter was in discussion in the whole country.

There are about 7000 Asiatic elephants in Thailand, of which less than half live in open forests.