A monk was found dead in the protected national forest area after being attacked by a wild elephant.
The incident occurred on Jan 23 when a village head in the Sri Sawat district received a report from villagers that the body of a monk on pilgrimage had been brutally attacked by a wild elephant in the national forest reserve, approximately 3 kilometers from the Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park boundary.
The deceased, identified as Phra Maha Bancha, 50 was found with his body severely mangled, and his face, head, limbs, and torso showed signs of a brutal elephant attack. Authorities suspect that the monk encountered the wild elephant while in the forest and fell victim to the fatal attack. The officials have taken the monk’s body to the forensic institute for an autopsy.
The head of Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park said that in the past week, three monks stayed overnight on their pilgrimage trip in the vicinity where the incident occurred. Two monks, accompanying Phra Maha Bancha mentioned hearing sounds resembling a large wild animal the night before the incident.
In the morning, traces of a wild elephant and blood were discovered, while one of the monk was found missing. They alerted villagers, leading to the discovery of the monk’s body. (TNA)
