PATTAYA: A four-month-old elephant died late on Thursday night due to a lack of nutrients just a month after being found with severe injuries caused by a snare and gunshots.
Phadet Siridamrong, a veterinarian at Nong Nooch Garden, wrote on his Facebook page that the elephant calf, known as Phang Fasai, died at 9.45pm on Thursday after an hour-long attempt to save her life.
He said the elephant calf had initially responded well to treatment after being wounded. However, the elephant had not been absorbing the nutrients from her food and passed away despite the best efforts of the staff.
Two other elephants at the garden were due to give birth and there would have been a fresher supply of milk for the small jumbo, which started developing digestive diseases before finally dying of gastrointestinal failure, Mr Phadet said.
On Nov 28, the elephant calf was rescued from a snare in a forest in Kaeng Hang Maew district of Chanthaburi. Its left front leg was badly injured and it was taken to an animal nursery at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Chon Buri for further treatment on Dec 1.
An X-ray image showed it had been shot in the left leg 10 times, while its right leg had become entangled in a snare. Surgery was performed last week but its poor health was already terminal, said Mr Phadet.