Asian Elephant Rips Mahout in Half in Southern Thailand

An Asian elephant in southern Thailand reportedly tore its handler in half with its tusks in after being made to carry wood in the severe hot weather.

The Tiger News reports that police responded to a rubber plantation in southern Thailand’s Phang Nga province to find the torn body of 32-year-old Supachai Wongfaed a mahout in a pool of blood.

The mahout body was torn in half by a 20-year-old elephant named Pom Pam who gored him multiple times with his tusks.

According to preliminary investigations, the mahout brought the 20-year-old bull Asian elephant to the plantation to haul wood that morning. Police believe the hot weather may have caused the elephant to “act crazy” and attack his mahout.

A hospital veterinarian had to sedate the elephant with a dart so that Mr. Supachai’s torn body could be recovered by rescue workers.

A similar incident occurred last month in southern Thailand’s Nakhon Sri Thammarat province. Police reported that an female Asian elephant stressed from work, stomped her handler to death, then stood over the man’s corpse for hours.

According to Duncan McNair, CEO of Save The Asian Elephants, Asian elephants in Thailand can suffer psychologically and physically when forced to work in extreme heat.

McNair said it was yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are wild animals that can attack and kill when abused or stressed.

Asian Elephant Abuse in Thailand

Thailand banned Asian elephants from logging in 1989, but it is still practiced in some parts of the country.

As a result of human interference, elephants in logging camps have been forced to destroy their own habitat. This has led to deforestation being one of the biggest threats to elephants’ survival today.

Deforestation in Thailand has made poaching easier, and elephants are now more likely to roam onto farmland in search of food, leading to disputes with farmers.

Illegal logging remains a problem, and elephants used in these camps are often mistreated.

In addition, they are often given amphetamines in order to force them to work for prolonged periods of time.

Throughout Thailand, Asian elephants have greatly influenced Thai culture, myth, and religion, though the deep respect held for the species is not always reflected in elephant treatment.

The rapid decline in Asian elephant numbers is the result of widespread abuse, poaching, deforestation, increased tourism, farming, and a vast reduction in habitat. Asian elephants are now officially endangered.

 

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