Additional Coverage:
- Grandpa mauled to death by charging elephant after finding it gorging on bananas in garden (themirror.com)
Man Fatally Trampled by Wild Elephant in Thai Garden
A 79-year-old man in central Thailand was fatally trampled by a wild elephant that wandered into his garden in search of food. The tragic incident occurred on the night of September 25.
Noi Songkroh had gone to inspect his vegetable garden when he encountered the massive creature feasting on a banana plant he had cultivated. It was after sundown, and Mr.
Songkroh was using a flashlight to examine his crops when he discovered the animal. As he directed the light beam upward, the elephant reportedly became startled and charged, crushing him to the ground.
Residents in the Prachinburi province witnessed parts of the terrifying attack and immediately contacted wildlife officials for assistance. Authorities arrived at the scene around 1 a.m., where they discovered Mr.
Songkroh’s body pressed into the mud. Elephant tracks indicated the animal had roamed past an entire row of homes shortly before the attack, drawn specifically to Mr.
Songkroh’s garden by the banana plants.
The victim’s family, including his son, Pichet Songkroh, 53, has received his body and is making funeral arrangements. Following the deadly encounter, they are urging authorities to address the ongoing issue of elephants wandering into their village and to implement measures to prevent future tragedies.
“I want the relevant officials to take action and find ways to solve the elephant problem and ensure the safety of our villagers,” Pichet Songkroh stated. “They shouldn’t wait for another person to die before acting.”
This incident marks another fatal encounter involving wild elephants in Thailand. Just last month, 66-year-old farmer Abdullah Kareeya was also trampled to death while working.
With an estimated 4,000 to 4,400 wild elephants roaming Thailand, deadly encounters occur regularly. However, despite these incidents, the number of overall human-elephant conflicts has drastically fallen, partly due to the elephants’ endangered status.
During the early 20th century, Thailand’s elephant population was believed to be significantly larger, at around 300,000. However, habitat destruction, poaching, and clashes with humans have led to a dramatic decline in their numbers.
Experts attribute most human-elephant contact incidents to the loss of suitable wild elephant habitats, agricultural encroachment, and resulting changes in elephant behavior. These factors lead to conflicts between the two species, often resulting in casualties and property damage, particularly to farmers’ cash crops.
Between 2012 and 2018, Thailand recorded 107 incidents of human-elephant conflict, resulting in 45 deaths and 30 injuries.