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Thai wildlife officials say they have discovered the carcasses of five more wild elephants downstream from a waterfall, where the remains of six others were found last 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 recover the carcasses of the elephants from the waterfall near the Khun Dan Prakan Chon dam in Nakhon Nayok.
The netting is intended to prevent carcasses from polluting the reservoir. Authorities will examine the elephants' bodies to determine the cause of death before burying them.
Eleven elephants died at Haew Narok waterfall (Photo: The Bangkok Post)
According to the Khao Yai National Park Management Board, the first six elephants were involved in the accident while trying to rescue a calf that had slipped and fallen down the waterfall. The carcass of the three-year-old calf was later found near the bottom of the Haew Narok waterfall, while the remains of the other five elephants were found not far from the scene.
Mr. Sompote told the media that this was the highest number of elephant deaths in an incident at Khao Yai National Park. Nearly 30 years ago, eight elephants were also found dead at the same waterfall. The park's elephant population is estimated at around 300. Across Thailand, there are approximately 7,000 Asian elephants, and more than half of them are kept in captivity.
Typically, during the annual rainy season, the ravines in Thailand, in particular, often fill with water, putting many animals at risk of drowning if they unfortunately fall in.
