The first 400 tourists entered Phu Kradueng National Park today, following a ten-day closure after a visitor was killed by an elephant in musth on a jungle trail.
Many showed up before dawn this morning for registration at the main gate, where a brief reopening ceremony was held. The tourists were given a briefing on safety and on how to protect themselves in case they should encounter elephants.
Park officials at Phu Kradueng, Phu Pha Mon national parks, and at the Phu Luang wildlife research centre, have been trained to cope with emergency situations, such as elephant attacks and accidents.
Two pickup trucks, two motorcycles and park officials have been airlifted by a helicopter from the base camp to the mountain-top park office as part of the precautionary measures to ensure safety for visitors.
Only some trails from the tourist service centre are open to visitors and camping, while other attractions, such as all waterfalls, the Pairat Tarnchai reservoir and Pha Nok An, remain closed.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department reported that minimum temperatures in mountainous areas today range from 7-13oC whereas, on lowlands, temperatures range from 12-18oC.
