Thai village in chaos as wild elephant wreaks havoc
Nattapong Westwood, The Thaiger
December 6, 2023
See link
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-village-in-chaos-as-wild-elephant-tank-wrecks-havoc-2
for photo.
A wild elephant, known as Rod Tang, wreaked havoc in a village in Buriram
province, damaging a house and sending the inhabitants into a state of
fear. The incident occurred yesterday in Nong Samet village, Non Din Daeng
district, resulting in significant property damage and leading to pleas for
assistance from relevant authorities.
The house, a single-storey concrete property numbered 182/20, belongs to a
local village assistant and resident elephant handler. Positioned merely
100 metres away from the Nong Samet drug checkpoint, the house suffered
considerable damage, with walls and aluminium windows shattered, and
approximately two sacks of paddy strewn around the exterior.
Lamchuan Jinphla, the 56 year old homeowner’s wife, disclosed that the
incident unfolded around 3am, when her husband wasn’t at home. Startled
from her sleep by a loud noise, she initially thought it to be a wild
elephant. Upon stepping out of her mosquito net, she shockingly found
herself only a foot away from the elephant, reported KhaoSod.
Her 58 year old husband, Heuang Jinphla, a village assistant and the local
elephant handler, informed that the intruding elephant was Rod Tang, a nine
year old male with a distinctive short tail. Usually, Rod Tang would sneak
into the village to forage for cassava and other crops.
On this occasion though, he had been successfully pushed back only to
return and cause damage to the house. Upon receiving a call from his wife,
Heuang rushed home to find Rod Tang still feeding on the stored paddy,
consuming approximately one sack before being driven off.
Heuang further commented that wild elephants have been frequently
encroaching into the village as their habitats have been shrinking and food
sources dwindling. This was the first time, however, an elephant had caused
such extensive damage to a house, prompting calls for government
intervention.
He highlighted that since the beginning of the year, four villagers have
already lost their lives to wild elephants, fearing the situation could
worsen without prompt action.
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-village-in-chaos-as-wild-elephant-tank-wrecks-havoc-2