Wildlife officials in Thailand say they have discovered the carcasses of five more wild elephants downstream from a waterfall where six others were found dead over the weekend. All are believed to be from the same herd. Drones flying over the area spotted the carcasses in the waterfall.
Rescue teams and National Park officials are hoping to use large nets to retrieve the carcasses of the elephants from a waterfall near the Khun Dan Prakan Chon dam in Nakhon Nayok.
The net is intended to prevent carcasses from contaminating the reservoir. Authorities will examine the elephants to determine the cause of death before burying them.
11 elephants died at Haew Narok waterfall (Photo: The Bangkok Post)
According to the Khao Yai National Park Management Board, the first six elephants were injured while trying to rescue a calf that had slipped and fallen into the waterfall. The body of the three-year-old elephant was later found near the bottom of the Haew Narok waterfall, while the bodies of the remaining five elephants were found not far from the scene.
Mr Sompote told the media that this was the largest number of elephants killed in a single incident in Khao Yai National Park. Nearly 30 years ago, eight elephants were found dead at the same waterfall. The number of elephants in the park is estimated at around 300. There are about 7,000 Asian elephants living in Thailand, more than half of which are in captivity.
Normally, during the annual rainy season, ravines in Thailand in particular are often filled with water, putting many animals at risk of drowning if they accidentally fall in.
