Kui Buri Model: Operations for peaceful co-existence of humans and wild elephants

Attapong Pao-on, chief of the Kui Buri National Park, revealed that pushing wild elephants back into the forest zone was a key approach to reducing damage to properties and crops...Implementation, however, is by no means easy. Discouraging wild elephants to not invade people’s farmlands involves many risks and challenges. It is necessary to lay down structure and delegate duties for smooth operations, which focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of wild elephant monitoring as well as the safety of the staff involved. The safety of wild-elephant monitoring teams’ members, in particular, receives a strong emphasis because they directly face straying giant mammals. 

Technology increases elephant-blocking efficiency.

The True Smart Early Warning System was set up to improve the efficiency of operations that deter wild elephants from wandering out of forests. Through the collaboration between the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and True Corporation, the system has facilitated and integrated efforts to solve problems tangibly related to wild pachyderms. Officials operating the system are in charge of monitoring wild elephant movements at various locations. Their operations are supported by communication technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), real-time camera traps and a comprehensive early warning system. “True Corporation” has provided these tech solutions so that officials can work efficiently and conveniently.

Rommuk Piachan, Senior Leader of Projects Development at True Corporation, explained that the Smart Early Warning System was a result of research, study and development. Designed to enhance the efficiency of wild elephant control operations, this solution stems from the "Tech For Good" concept, which comprises Empathy-Insights-Technology components, leading to innovative technology that sustainably improves the quality of life. The system works as follows:

1.    Real-time camera trap: This key component monitors any movement around cameras through an infrared system, which enhances visibility at night. Wild elephants usually roam for food after sunset. Equipped with SIM cards and batteries, these cameras are easy to install. When they detect a movement, they send a real-time alert. Currently, real-time camera traps are installed at 25 locations, which are known as “Elephant Checkpoints” or routes used by wild elephants to enter 500 farmlands along the borders of the Kui Buri National Park.  

2.    Data processing and storage software: Visual recordings from cameras are sent to an AI-enabled Cloud system, which supports staff’s analyses and classifications of detected objects. The colour and characteristics of elephants’ skills blend well with nature at night, thus making it hard to detect them in the dark. 

3.    Transmission poles and signal receivers: After data were processed, the dashboard shows images and data via True’s transmission poles at Ban Yan Sue and the Ruam Thai Village for on-duty staff to check. 

4.    Command: Designed as a “war room”, this command is staffed round-the-clock. Officials at the command must coordinate with relevant teams to push wild elephants back to the forest park promptly. The command has an integrated Smart Adventure application, which enables users to monitor the status of operations involved, methods used, results, and damage (if any) in real-time. Statistics have been compiled with key information shown systematically.

On top of tech support, True has also offered insurance coverage and smartphones to forest protectors out of recognition for their sacrifices and devotion. These officials, after all, are true heroes as they put their lives at stake during their operations. 

Following the establishment of the True Smart Early Warning System in 2016, wild-elephant monitoring teams have achieved better performance. Despite the growing wild elephant population, they have successfully curbed damage caused by straying pachyderms. In other words, early warning paves the way for timely operations that help reduce adverse impacts on locals’ farmland.

Silent heroes 

Nuttawut Assange, a member of a wild elephant monitoring team, said before the introduction of the Smart Early Warning, his team had conducted patrols and responded to tip-offs from locals. However, areas under the team’s jurisdiction were so vast that they often could not reach the targeted location in time. Routes used by wild animals were tough. With lots of obstacles along the way, each team took between 10 to 30 minutes to reach their destination. Upon arrival, they usually found that wild elephants were already gone. 

Each wild elephant monitoring team has between five to 10 members, each based at different spots of their village. Their shift starts at 5 pm and ends at 6 am or until all wild elephants go back to the forest park. Food-foraging period of wild elephants changes in response to “season and weather conditions”. Sometimes, they start looking for food as early as 3 pm if the weather is cool. Elephants hate hot weather. So, they usually become active around dusk. They will look for food until sunrise. After the sun goes up, they usually return to the forested zone and sleep.

Members of wild elephant monitoring teams know they “risk their lives” on duty. When they reach the spot where wild elephants were sighted, they do their best to proceed cautiously to minimize all risks. Based on their experience, they will first check the number of elephants on the spot. At least, two members must be together for them to start an operation to push wild elephants back to the forest. 

“Once we reach our destination, we will do a count to be sure how many elephants are there. At first glance, we may see just one elephant. But if we look carefully, we will see that there are many more. Some elephants will just follow the first one silently and they may fatally attack us. Elephants may stomp on us, hit us with their trunks or gore us with their tusk. A few years ago, one of us died because of the elephant attack,” Natthawut said.

He continued that operations to push wild elephants back to the forest zone should be softly implemented. The use of violence, he warned, would only trigger elephants’ aggressive behaviours and changes in food-foraging patterns making it even harder to manage them. 

The use of “sound and lights” is integrated into techniques of scaring elephants away. Naturally, elephants have excellent hearing capability. They can hear a sound one or two miles away. Therefore, honking or shouting is often enough to scare them away. But some elephants are quite “stubborn”. They will just ignore officials’ shouting. In such cases, officials will use “a ball of gunpowder”. This ball will be wrapped with insulation paper, lit by fire, and thrown towards the elephants. When the giant mammals see the fire coming with loud bangs, they will retreat into the forest park.

But elephants prove they are smart creatures. Blessed with learning capabilities and good memory, officials need to prepare various techniques to safely push wild pachyderms back to the national park. Today, wild elephants have already familiarized themselves with “human presence”.  Some of them therefore have started showing “obstinate traits”. When chased out of farmlands, they show their dissatisfaction as they feel their eating is disrupted. 

“These animals can remember the sound of vehicles used by each official. If only one official turns up, they are not at all afraid. No matter how loud he tries to be, they stay calm. But if they see many officials coming, they will quickly retreat to forest zones. These days, it is quite clear wild elephants know where our cameras are installed or where officials are usually on duty. They have tried to evade these areas and spots. Because wild elephants are smart, it becomes harder for us to carry out our operations,” Natthawut said.

The chief of the Kui Buri National Park said technologies and locals’ participation were crucial to efforts to solve human-elephant conflicts. In his view, communication technologies are like the backbone of the officials’ operations. High-performance drones with infrared cameras, given by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), are now deployed to monitor moving objects during nighttime. They become the “third eye” for officials, paving the way for accurate and efficient operations to chase wild elephants out of human zones.

Humans – Wild Elephants: Can they co-exist?

Conflicts between humans and wild elephants are full of emotions. Locals feel panic, fear and anxiety. Yet, deep down, residents, national park officials, and members of wild elephant monitoring teams feel attached to wild elephants – the creatures they have long seen and grown up with.

“We should now admit that humans can’t defeat wild elephants here because the conflict areas used to be their home. To solve the conflict, we must first change our mindset. It is the first step towards peaceful co-existence between humans and wild elephants,” the chief of the Kui Buri National Park emphasized. 

The Kui Buri National Park has now presented itself as a mediator for human-elephant reconciliation, which is now promoted via wildlife watching. Based on academic information, zoning has been done to identify which spots are best for wildlife watchers. Locals receive support in grouping and providing tourism services related to wildlife watching. This is another source of income for locals, who in fact do not need to rely on farming alone.

Naret Suedurian, manager of WWF Thailand's Kaeng Krachan Wildlife Conservation Project, commented that wild elephants would likely keep wandering out of the national park throughout their lives. No one would be able to prevent them from straying out of the forest zone. But it is possible to “reduce adverse impacts”. Relevant parties therefore should focus on this approach. Though most feasible, this approach needs cooperation from all sides to sustain solutions.

Tui, who used to hate wild elephants a lot, said her perspectives have already changed. Speaking of her feelings now, she said, “As long as we live here, we can’t escape from wild elephants. As it is not easy for us to relocate either, we should simply adjust. We should realize that we must not rely on just monoculture”.

To co-exist peacefully with wild elephants, Tui has started an integrated farming system for risk-distribution purposes. She has also grown lemongrasses and raised stingless bees because they, on top of generating income for her, help keep wild elephants away. Tui is now a key woman behind the establishment of a community enterprise and a fund that offers compensation to farmers whose crops are damaged by wild pachyderms.

Humans’ understanding and adjustment are the ultimate keys to peaceful human-elephant co-existence.