Korat village invaded by wild elephants

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two wild elephants from the Khao Yai National Park invaded a village in Wang Nam Khieo district of this northeastern province on Saturday night, destroying houses and plantations.

Pictures of the elephants - a male and a female - and their acts of destruction have been posted on Facebook on an account named "Sor Wor Narang and Phu Chuay Fuang".

The poster said that early on Saturday night the two pachyderms stormed into Ban Tha Wang Sai in tambon Wang Mi of Wang Nam Khieo district. The villagers made loud noises in an attempt to scare them away, but to no avail. They went on to crush their houses, destroy their belongings and trampled on coconut, mango, banana and other trees in their plantations.

Pongthep Malasing, chairman of the tourism promotion club of Wang Nam Khieo district, said Ban Tha Wang Sai has frequently been attacked by large wild animals including elephants and Asiatic black bears as it is located near the Khao Yai National Park.

He said the attacks usually occur from after dusk, prompting the villagers to have set up teams for a night watch.

The frequent attacks are an indication that the fertility rate of wild animals in the Khao Yai National Park has increased as a result of improved natural resources, Mr Pongthep said.