A GRANDAD was horrifically trampled to death by a wild elephant that stormed into his garden in central Thailand while he was checking his vegetables.
Tragic Noi Songkroh, 79, had gone outside late at night with a flashlight when he spotted the enormous animal gorging on a banana plant near his home in Prachinburi province.
ViralPressA grandad was horrifically trampled to death by a wild elephant that stormed into his garden[/caption]
ViralPressThe incident happened in central Thailand[/caption]
ViralPressThe victim had gone outside late at night with a flashlight when he spotted the enormous animal gorging on a banana plant[/caption]
But when the beam of light shone up into the creature’s face, the tusker became enraged.
It suddenly charged at the pensioner, knocked him down and stomped him into the ground.
Neighbours looked on in horror as the jumbo thrashed at Noi before smashing him into the mud.
Wildlife officials rushed to the scene in the early hours of September 25 but could only recover his mangled body, which had been deformed under the sheer weight of the animal.
Deep elephant tracks were found just metres away, marking where the beast had trudged past homes.
Local man Somkid Koson said he had heard commotion moments before the fatal charge.
He said: “I heard dogs barking so I went to check and saw Noi standing in front of the house.
“Suddenly, a wild elephant charged at him, killing him on the spot.
“I called the neighbours and informed the village headman, and they tried to drive the elephant back toward Thap Lan National Park.”
The victim’s son, Pichet Songkroh, 53, has now begged authorities to act before another family suffers the same fate.
He said: “I want the relevant officials to take action and find ways to solve the elephant problem and ensure the safety of our villagers. They shouldn’t wait for another person to die before acting.”
Noi’s body has since been handed to his devastated family for funeral rites.
The killing comes a grandfather was trampled to death while trying to scare off a rampaging elephant – and another villager injured.
Jaran Promtoo, 60, was working his garden in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, when the humungous animal stormed in.
ViralPressWhen the beam of light shone up into the creature’s face, the tusker became enraged.[/caption]
ViralPressWildlife officials rushed to the scene but could only recover his mangled body[/caption]
Jaran and his helper tried desperately to ward off the elephant, called Plai Hoo Phab, with loud noises.
Despite their attempts, the bull went berserk and brutally stomped on them.
Villagers called a rescue team after finding the pair lying motionless in the garden on Wednesday evening.
They found that Jaran was tragically dead at the scene, with severe injuries to his chest, ribs, and hip.
Thailand is home to an estimated 4,013 to 4,422 wild elephants, a fraction of the vast herds that once roamed the country.
In the early 20th century, there were thought to be around 300,000 elephants in the wild. But habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans have slashed numbers.
Conservationists warn that as humans and elephants increasingly clash, more tragedies are inevitable.
According to Human Elephant Voices, “Root causes of HEC are from loss of wild elephants’ suitable habitats, agricultural encroachment and thus elephant behaviour change.
These lead to the conflict between two species, which results in casualties and property damages, especially the cash crops of farmers.”
During 2012-2018 alone, Thailand recorded 107 human-elephant conflict incidents – killing 45 people and injuring 30.
Despite the rising death toll, wild elephant numbers are slowly growing thanks to conservation efforts – raising fears that encounters like Noi’s could become even more common.
ViralPressLocal man Somkid Koson said he had heard commotion moments before the fatal charge[/caption]
ViralPressNoi’s body has since been handed to his devastated family for funeral rites[/caption]