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WILDLIFE KHAO ANG RUE NAI

Elephants stop, loot trucks on dark road


MANIT SNUBBOON

Chachoengsao _ The chief of Khao Ang Rue Nai wants the road through the wildlife sanctuary closed at night after a herd of elephants held up and looted a string of cargo trucks. About midnight last Saturday a herd of 20 elephants blocked route No.3259 (the Ban Nong Kog-Ban Wang Nam Phon road) holding up 10 trucks, Yoo Senatham said.
They tipped some vehicles on their side, spilling the cargoes on the road so their young could eat, and gorged on sugarcane and tapioca.
''This was not an isolated incident on this road,'' said Yoo Senatham. ''Recently a pregnant deer was hit and killed and last month a pick-up truck hit an elephant.''
These incidents prompted the sanctuary chief to ask provincial governor Arnont Promnart to close the 14.7km route through the park from 9pm to 5am to prevent further danger to travellers and wildlife.
Over the past five years, three people and 14,408 wild animals had died in car accidents on route No.3259, Mr Yoo said. In the same period, a record 1,000 animals were killed in the park by poachers.
Most vehicle accidents happened at night during the dry season, when wild animals crossed the road to nearby Phutai forest in search of water and a salt lick.
About 300,000 vehicles travelled on the road in that period last year.
On Dec 19 the sanctuary office was informed by Sirichai Jitkajorntham, 40, about 8pm that he had hit a big elephant on the road, and injured the animal.
A veterinary team failed to find the elephant, one of an estimated 180 of the animals roaming the sanctuary.
The 643,750 rai sanctuary spills over into five provinces _ Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaew and Prachin Buri. It adjoins Khao Soi Dao national park in Chanthaburi, Khao Yai national park and Khao Chamao.

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