PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, Thailand –– Rangers at Kaeng Krachan National Park have discovered a rare five-year-old wild baby elephant with tusks measuring 60 centimeters—almost five times the length of an average elephant of the same age, October 11.
Mongkol Chaiyaphakdee, head of Kaeng Krachan National Park, reported that the elephant was spotted by a patrol team in the Huai Sat Yai Subdistrict of Hua Hin District. The park’s surveillance cameras captured the footage, revealing a male calf with unusually long and beautiful tusks.
Typically, a five-year-old elephant’s tusks would only measure around 10-15 centimeters.
The herd of elephants, including this unique calf, is still roaming within the park and has not ventured into nearby villages. The Kaeng Krachan Park’s elephant monitoring center is closely tracking the herd to prevent human-wildlife conflicts, in line with policies from Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa and directives from Atthapol Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation.
Kaeng Krachan National Park is one of Thailand’s most important habitats for wild elephants, home to around 300-350 elephants. The park’s rich biodiversity, abundant food sources, and water make it an ideal environment for wild elephants. However, the expansion of local communities and farmlands surrounding the park poses ongoing challenges in managing the elephants’ habitat and minimizing conflicts between humans and elephants. (TNA)
