NAKHONRATCHASIMA, Dec 19 (TNA) – Dozens of wild elephants have caused panic in a village in Nakhon Ratchasima province after they broke off into smaller groups and raided nearby farms.
Local residents were forced to brave the cold night to drive the herd away, fearing the animals would enter their homes.
Suriyong Phasi, the sub-district head, said that the elephants, part of a larger herd that has been venturing out of Thap Lan National Park, had scattered across several cassava and eucalyptus plantations.
Village residents, along with park rangers and volunteers, worked through the night to drive the elephants back into the forest. They used vehicles and firecrackers to herd the animals together before attempting to drive them back across the park boundary. However, the large number of elephants and their dispersed nature made the task extremely challenging.
The issue of wild elephants raiding farms has been ongoing for the past two months, despite the best efforts of local authorities and conservationists.
The elephant population in the area has been steadily increasing, and the animals have become more accustomed to seeking food in nearby agricultural lands.
With the approaching harvest season, villagers are under immense pressure to protect their crops. They have been working around the clock to gather their produce, hoping to mitigate the losses caused by the elephants. The situation is expected to continue until at least April when the harvest is complete. -819 (TNA)
