A wild elephant was found dead yesterday, possibly electrocuted, in a fruit orchard in Kaeng Krachan district of Phetchaburi.
A team of officials and veterinarians from the Kaeng Krachan National Park rushed to the orchard in Pa Teng sub-district after being alerted to the death of a bull elephant by Boonlue Mungmee, headman of the sub-district.
The orchard’s owner, 73-year-old Prayoon Kong-yu, told the officials that he went to the orchard at about 8am yesterday to spray the fruit trees with pesticide, found the dead elephant and immediately notified the sub-district chief.
The vets found traces of burning on one leg of the elephant, which was entangled in wire fencing. They suspect that the animal, weighing about three tonnes and aged about 15 years, was killed by a high-voltage electric shock transmitted through the wires.
The vets removed some of the animal’s organs for testing in their lab, to determine the exact cause of the death.
A park official said that the killing of an elephant, which is a protected species, is an offence subject to imprisonment of up to 10 years and/or a fine of one million baht on conviction.
