Maj. Gen. Thakat Lordsiri, military commander of Surasi along with military units and committee discussed the problems of raging wild elephants in the Pa-la-u Forest, Huay Sat Yai, Hua Hin District at the Wildlife Conservation Society Thailand Centre (WCS Thailand).
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant had instructed the Hua Hin Elephant Correction Commission to relocate the wild elephants that were destroying properties and agricultural crops for more than 3 months now but no action has been taken yet so far.
The committee representing the forest animals in Hua Hin said that the wild elephants in Huay Sat Yai area have been continuously damaging the properties and agricultural crops of the villagers in the past. One of the notorious wild elephants was named “Plai Boonchuay” by the villagers.
The committee had advised the Kaeng Krachan National Park to relocate the aggressive elephant to Huay Kom Krit but the park was still unable to do so. Wild elephants were the main concern of the villagers and it has been affecting their livelihood ever since.
The committee agreed to resolve the problem by planning to construct a semi-permanent fence by planting tamarind trees, digging canals along the borders of the forest in order to prevent elephants from crossing into the villager’s properties and creating food and water sources inside the forest for the elephants to feed on rather than the agricultural crops.
Maj. Gen. Thakat and the WCS Thailand visited the affected areas caused by wild elephants and inspected how much work had already been done. “In the past, many agencies, including local government, administrative groups, conservation groups and the border patrol police have continuously integrated in solving various problems related to wild elephants. Other remedies to the problem must be processed with proper planning and will have to wait for the allocated budget from the government,” Thakat said.
Later in the day, Thakat and other officials visited the Huai Sat Yai Yai OTOP Center and distributed 40 blankets to the elderly, children, and less fortunate families in order to relieve the cold weather that occurred along the border. Thakat also visited a number of public service points in Huay Sat Yai and distributed souvenirs as a New Year’s gift to various agencies in the area.
WRITER: Larry Cadiz
