Bangkok: A wild elephant named "Plai Khun Suek" was tragically electrocuted in Mu Si Subdistrict, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, after venturing outside Khao Yai National Park to forage at night. The elephant, believed to have used its trunk to grab an electrical wire, was found dead following a short circuit.
According to Thai News Agency, the remains of Plai Khun Suek, also known as Nga Pli, were discovered on a road leading to farmland in the Huai Pla Kang village area. Villagers notified Mr. Chaiya Huai Hong Thong, the head of Khao Yai National Park, who coordinated with officers from the Khao Yai National Park Management Area 1 and Police Lieutenant Colonel Sitthiphon Sai Khwao from Moo Si Police Station to inspect the scene.
Initial investigations revealed that Plai Khun Suek was a 30-year-old male elephant with ID number KY-Z1-KY01-008. The position of his body indicated that an electrical wire was entangled around the tip of his trunk and mouth. It is assumed that the elephant encountered the wire while foraging and attempted to remove it, resulting in electrocution.
Plai Khun Suek, also known as Chao Khunsuk Lek, was a partner to Plai Duan, a member of the National Park Service Area Office, and had been safeguarding the area for some time. Reports suggest that the incident occurred early in the morning as the elephant was returning to the park. It is suspected that a wire strung by villagers across an alley had fallen, and as the elephant tried to move it, the wire's protective sheath broke, leading to the fatal electrocution.
The head of Khao Yai National Park declared the incident an accident, stating that no individual was at fault. A religious ceremony was conducted by Phra Athikan Kamnat, the abbot of Wat Mee, before the elephant's remains were buried within the park.