Parks and wildlife authorities plan more activities to reduce elephant-human issue
PUBLISHED: 3 Jan 2025 at 20: 33
Officials from parks and wildlife say their efforts to stop exotic animals from invading Prachin Buri province’s areas have been successful, with” Sorapong,” the most problematic bull, being returned to its original habitat.
The operation to restrain about 40 wandering wild elephants involved more than 200 people including veterinarians, animal husbandry officers and crew, said Atthapol Charoenchansa, diredtor-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ( DNP ).
According to him, it started on Thursday and ended early on Friday night when Sorapong was sedated and transferred to the Chachoengsao Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Since a deadly attack on a local citizen on December 11th, the ministry had been tracking the animals.  ,
The creatures had been congregating in the 800-rai Sadao jungle outside, according to Mr Atthapol.
He claimed that the team had originally tried to intimidate and force the elephants up into their natural habitat in Chachoengsao’s Khao Ang Rue Nai temple without success.
” Amid the clash between the exotic animals and local communities, finding appropriate actions to end the problem has been a main challenge”, he said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment made ending the elephant-human issue an immediate priority, he added.
It recently developed a birth control strategy for wild animals, but there was strong opposition because of the potential danger to their wellness.
Mr. Atthapol emphasized that birth control would not hurt the wild inhabitants and that it would be carefully monitored by experts.
In collaboration with the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the office conducted a pilot project last year that involved giving birth control vaccinations to seven wild animals. There were no adverse consequences, it claimed.
The section is preparing to develop the project to areas like Khao Ang Rue Nai’s sanctuary, which are regularly visited by elephants and people.
Since 2012, 240 people have been killed and 208 injured from rhino problems in Thailand.