KANCHANABURI — A wild elephant was found dead deep inside Erawan National Park and officials believe high-voltage lines likely are to blame.
Park officials were alerted by Electricity Authority of Thailand workers checking grid safety Monday about the dead pachyderm discovered 11 kilometres inside the forest in Sri Sawat district in Kanchanaburi province.
Park officials, soldiers from the Surari Camp and veterinarians from Mahidol University and the Asian Elephant Foundation of Thailand joined villagers at the site. They found the three-tonne animal lying below 120,000-volt power lines, part of its trunk burnt.
Wirun Srisanit, an official with the Protected Areas Regional Office based in Ratchaburi, said evidence indicated electrocution could be the cause of death.
The veterinarians are conducting an autopsy to confirm.
The death is the second of a wild elephant in the park in three days. A female jumbo collapsed in Saiyok district on Saturday and died a day later. Park chief Prawat Puangthong said the elephant was ageing and died of deteriorating health.