Measures to solve wild elephant intrusion

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, Jan 12 (TNA) – National park officials will create food sources and artificial salt licks in the Kaeng Krachan National Park to prevent wild elephants from encroachment into residential and farm areas to search for food. Head of the Kaeng Krachan comprehensive protected area, Mana Permpoon; a veterinarian of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Phatthapol Manee-orn; a wild elephant monitoring unit, soldiers, local authorities and over 100 volunteers repair wire fence, barring wild elephants from leaving the forest to neigbouring villages. They also fixed buildings, structures, damaged by elephants, roaming for food at night. The veterinarian said the department of national parks is considering making artificial salt licks and food source in the forest for wild elephants, so they won’t come out to residential areas. The solution will be safe for both elephants and humans. If the animals are chased away, they may be pressured and harm people. The new human-made food resource will also help prevent them from eating garbage. Veterinatian teams found blood in examples of elephant dung, which is the sign of digestive problems from eating some kinds of garbage, he said. Officials and volunteers collected garbage and dug a ditch to prevent elephants from crossing into two villages. To build public participation network, QR code for Line application is distributed to local residents to inform officials when they sight a wild elephant near their houses or on their farmland. (TNA)