National park in Thailand closed after wild elephant kills visitor

LOEI, Thailand: A national park in northern Thailand was temporarily closed from Friday (Dec 13) after a wild elephant killed a 49-year-old Thai woman this week.

The fatal elephant attack on Wednesday was the first at Phu Kradueng National Park in the north-eastern province of Loei, about an eight-hour drive from Bangkok. 

“This is the first recorded incident of an elephant attack on a tourist in this area,” confirmed local police officials, as quoted by local news outlet Khaosod English.

In a Facebook post on Thursday night, the national park said wild elephants have been spotted on paths used by tourists, and it was temporarily closing all tourist attractions and camps in the park for safety and to prevent possible damage to property. An area at the foothill remains open to tourists, it said.

The victim, identified as Jeeranun, was from Chachoengsao province in eastern Bangkok. 

According to local media reports, Jeeranun was hiking with a friend on a trail leading to the Phen Phop Mai Waterfall from her campsite. 

News outlet Pattaya Mail reported that the elephant attacked the woman twice. Visitors alerted park rangers to the attack at about 9.47am on Wednesday and the rangers found Jeeranun dead when they arrived.

According to news site The Nation, park officials said the attack occurred in an area where wild elephants often forage for food. There are several warning signs advising people to stay away from the area, they said.

After the incident, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) implemented several safety protocols including the closure of all trails where wild elephants have been spotted, deployment of additional rangers and temporary closure of all trails leading to the waterfall attractions. 

It initially maintained access to regular nature trails, but temporarily closed Phu Kradueng after observing that elephants continued roaming around the site of the attack.

In its Facebook post, Phu Kradueng National Park said it would refund all payments and liaise directly with affected visitors, including tourists who have already booked their accommodation.

The park will reopen “once the situation returns to normal” and prior notice will be given on its Facebook page. 

“(DNP) has coordinated with the Wildlife Research and Veterinary Centre to investigate the condition of the wild elephant (which killed the woman),” the park said on Facebook, adding that it is unusual for elephants to appear during daytime.

The Nation reported that officials are actively preventing the elephant in question from approaching populated areas.

According to Bangkok Post, over 700 visitors were told to leave the mountain on Thursday.

The Phu Kradueng National Park is popular with domestic tourists due to its highlands and cool climate. The area near Phen Phop Mai waterfall is famous for its red maple leaves and a highlight for visitors, who enjoy taking photographs there. 

According to The Nation, the park has been open for seasonal tourism for just over two months this year. It opened on October 1 and was originally scheduled to operate until May 31 next year. 

The hiking trail leading to the mountain peak is closed every year during the dry season due to the danger posed by wild elephants that gather in the area to drink water, local media reported. 

Citing statistics from the DNP, the Heinrich Boll Foundation reported last December that at least 150 people in Thailand have been killed by wild elephants in the past six years and more than 133 people have been injured. 

Meanwhile, more than 92 elephants have been killed, the article stated.