LAMPANG - A bull elephant suffering acute dyspepsia and bloating died at the Elephant Hospital in this northern province early on Friday, raising fresh concerns about the animals being overfed in captivity.
The 40-year-old elephant, named Raepor, was brought from Chiang Mai and admitted to the hospital on Thursday. He had acute indigestion and was bloated with gas. Despite the best efforts of a team of veterinarians, Raepor died about 3.50am on Friday.
The vets said dyspepsia claimed the lives of several elephants each year. They blamed it on improper feeding. The mahouts had given the animals too much to eat, resulting in a serious digestive problem
Soraida Salwala, the founder of Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, said hospital staff and the owner of the dead elephant held traditional funeral rites for Raepor on Friday.