Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei will reopen on Monday after being closed since Dec 12 following the tragic death of a female tourist who was attacked by a wild elephant.
Atthapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said the park has conducted thorough inspections and implemented new measures to ensure visitor safety before reopening.
He also stressed the importance of educating visitors about safety protocols when exploring the park and encountering wild animals, saying park officials also deploy measures to keep elephants away from tourist areas.
The tragedy took place on Dec 11 when a 49-year-old woman from Chachoengsao province was attacked by an elephant while walking along a trail from her camping site to Phen Phop Mai waterfall.
Almost 900 tourists were evacuated after the closure was announced as an emergency measure to prevent loss of life and property.
Initially, the park was set to close for two weeks and scheduled to reopen on Dec 25.
Mr Atthapol said the DNP has intensified its efforts to address issues related to wild elephants roaming outside forest boundaries and encroaching on farms and residential areas.
Patrols will be increased to monitor elephant movements and guide them back into the forest, while local communities will be promptly alerted if the animals are detected nearby, he added.
Based on a recent report by the Wildlife Conservation Office, more than 4,000 wild elephants currently roam in 16 forest complexes within 94 conservation zones across the country.
The eastern forest complex reported the largest number of incidents involving wild elephants venturing out of the forests. The provinces most affected by this problem were Chachongsao, Chanthaburi, Kanchanaburi, Prachin Buri and Trat.
From 2021-2023, more than 37,000 reports of wild elephants roaming outside forest areas were made after the animals caused damage to crops and property. Over the last 12 years, there have been 239 deaths and 203 injuries related to human-elephant conflict.
This year alone, 11,468 incidents involving roaming elephants were reported to authorities, causing 34 injuries and 39 deaths — an increase from last year's record of 29 injuries and 22 deaths.
An earlier ad hoc House committee was appointed to monitor and study sustainable approaches to reducing the numbers of wild elephants.
Its proposals included amending the compensation measures for damage caused by wild elephants and methods to control their movements, such as erecting more barriers to prevent them from leaving conservation forests.
