Wild elephants caused 227 deaths in 12 years; efforts to address this intensify

Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, on December 18, 2024, visited Adisorn Hemtanon, Head of Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province, who had been injured while on duty.  The incident occurred following a tragic attack by a wild elephant that resulted in the death of a tourist.

Phu Kradueng National Park has since expedited area inspections and implemented safety measures to prepare for reopening on December 23, after being closed since December 13.

Atthaphon emphasized the importance of safety in addressing wild elephant issues and directed agencies under his jurisdiction to adopt a systematic approach. He called for integration across all sectors, the establishment of a Special Operations Centre in affected areas, and preventive measures to safeguard lives and property. Elephant deterrence teams were instructed to intensify patrols, while public safety alerts and ongoing assistance to affected individuals were also prioritized.

According to a report from the Wild Animal Assistance Centre under the Wildlife Conservation Bureau of the Department of National Parks for the fiscal year 2024, Thailand has an estimated wild elephant population of 4,013–4,422, distributed across 16 forest complexes in 94 conservation areas nationwide. 

The report identified the Eastern Forest Complex as having the highest number of elephants leaving conservation areas, followed by the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, the Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex, the Phu Khieo–Nam Nao Forest Complex, and the Western Forest Complex, affecting 30 provinces. The most impacted provinces were Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Prachinburi, and Trat.

Over the past three years (2021–2023), wild elephants have left conservation areas over 37,000 times, causing more than 3,800 instances of damage to property and agricultural crops. Alarmingly, between 2012 and 2024, there were 227 fatalities and 203 injuries caused by wild elephants.

In 2024, wild elephants exited conservation areas 11,468 times, causing 1,975 incidents of damage. These included 1,610 cases of crop destruction, 554 cases of property damage, 34 injuries, and 39 fatalities. These figures represent an upward trend compared to the same period in 2023, which saw 29 injuries and 22 fatalities.

In 2024, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation provided compensation totaling 
4,810,622.75 baht to assist citizens, officials, and volunteers affected by injuries or fatalities caused by wildlife. This support was issued in accordance with established guidelines and covered 34 fatalities and 60 injuries resulting from incidents involving wild elephants (60 cases), gaur (15 cases), banteng (1 case), and monkeys (18 cases).

The breakdown of compensation is as follows:

• Officials: 2 fatalities, 3 injuries, totalling 1,051,526 baht
• Volunteers: 1 fatality, 2 injuries, totalling 202,400 baht
• Citizens: 31 fatalities, 55 injuries, totalling 3,556,696.75 baht

The budget was allocated based on the Guidelines for Compensation for Those Affected by Wildlife, 2024, and the Welfare Payment Guidelines for Forest Protection Officers, 2023.

The department urges the public to contribute by supporting affected individuals and encouraging officials and volunteers who are working tirelessly to monitor and deter wild elephants from causing harm to lives and property.