PUBLISHED: 22 Dec 2024 at 17: 02
After the tragic demise of a sexual traveler who was attacked by a wild elephant, Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei has been closed since December 12.
Atthapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ( DNP ), said the park has conducted thorough inspections and implemented new measures to ensure visitor safety before reopening.
He added that park officials also take precautions to keep animals apart from holiday areas, as well as the importance of educating customers about safety methods when visiting the area and encountering wild animals.
An elephant attacked a 49-year-old girl from Chachoengsao state while walking along a road from her traveling page to Phen Phop Mai river on December 11th.
After the shutdown was announced as an precautionary measure to avoid losing both lives and property, nearly 900 travellers were evacuated.
The area was immediately scheduled to close for two weeks before it reopened on December 25.
Mr. Atthapol cited the DNP’s recent efforts to address issues involving exotic elephants roaming inside jungle boundaries and eutrophicating on farms and residential areas.
He added that inspections will be increased to track elephant movements and direct them back into the forest, and that alerts will be sent right away to local communities if they are found outside.
More than 4, 000 exotic elephants are now residing in 16 woodland complexes in 94 restoration zones across the nation, according to a recent report from the Wildlife Conservation Office.
The Eastern Forest Complex reported the most outrageous elephant escapes from the trees in terms of situations. The regions most affected by this trouble were Chachongsao, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Prachin Buri and Trat.
More than 37, 000 wild elephant reports were made outside forest places between 2021 and 2023 after they harmed vegetables and home. Over the last 12 years, there have been 239 murders and 203 accidents related to human-elephant issue.
This year alone, 11, 468 incidents involving prowling animals were reported to authorities, causing 34 wounds and 39 incidents — an increase from last year’s history of 29 wounds and 22 deaths.
To monitor and study long-term strategies for reducing the number of wild elephants, a previous ad hoc House committee was established.
Its recommendations included updating the compensation systems for wild elephant damage and introducing techniques to stop their movements, such as installing more barriers to obstructing conservation forests.