Killer Elephants

If you go down in the woods today in Thailand watch out for killer elephants

Wild elephants killed one buddhist monk and seriously injured another in Thap Lan National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, north east Thailand on Thursday 21 February 2008. The two were members of a group of eleven monks who had gone to meditate in Khon Buri Forest Reserve within the park boundaries.

Phra Natthaporn Kittiyano aged 38 was trampled to death by a killer elephant and Phra Wichian Khemmako age 43, sustained multiple broken bones and was rushed to a local hospital. The other monks in the group were unharmed by the wild elephants. Phra Voravit Annaro who led the monks on the forest pilgrimage, said they had travelled from Wat Chaimongkhol Monastic Centre in Phichit's Bang Mum Nak district to stay at the Boling Monastic Centre in the National Park. Nine of the monks went into the forest reserve to meditate, they split into three groups, the two victims of the killer elephants were in the last group which came across a herd of fifteen wild elephants raiding villagers fruit orchards about 18:00. Some of the females in the herd had calves with them and may have been startled by the monks and acted to protect their young said Phra Voravit. They attacked Phra Natthaporn and Phra Wichian.

We suggest that before you go trekking through Thailand's forest areas, on your own or in small groups, find out if there are elephants known to be in the area, that goes for tigers too!

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