A tragic incident unfolded as a senior citizen was fatally crushed by a wild elephant that strayed into his garden in search of food. Noi Songkroh, aged 79, was inspecting his vegetable patch when he spotted the massive animal feasting on a banana plant he had cultivated in central Thailand.
The grim event occurred after sunset when Noi, using a flashlight to survey his crops, encountered the unexpected visitor. Startled by the light beam, the elephant charged at him, resulting in a fatal trampling. Residents in the Prachinburi province witnessed the harrowing attack on the night of September 25 and promptly alerted wildlife authorities for assistance.
Authorities arrived at the scene around 1 am, discovering Noi’s body submerged in mud. Traces left by the elephant indicated its passage near several homes before the fatal encounter, with only the bananas drawing it to Noi’s garden. Following the tragedy, Noi’s family, led by his son Pichet Songkroh, 53, has taken custody of his remains and is organizing funeral arrangements.
Expressing concern over the recurring issue of elephants entering their village, the family is calling on officials to address the problem promptly. Pichet emphasized the need for measures to prevent similar incidents, urging authorities to act decisively before another life is lost.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case in Thailand, as evidenced by a recent incident where a 66-year-old farmer met a similar fate while working on his rubber tree plantation. With an estimated population of 4,000 to 4,400 wild elephants in Thailand, encounters leading to attacks are not uncommon, although conservation efforts have reduced such incidents due to their endangered status.
Historically, the Thai elephant population, once estimated at 300,000, has declined significantly over the years due to habitat loss, poaching, and human conflict. Human Elephant Voices highlighted the root causes of human-elephant conflicts, citing habitat loss, agricultural encroachment, and resulting behavioral changes in elephants as major contributing factors.
Between 2012 and 2018, Thailand recorded 107 incidents of human-elephant conflict, resulting in 45 fatalities and 30 injuries. The statistics underscore the pressing need for proactive measures to mitigate conflicts and safeguard both human lives and elephant populations.