A captive-raised male, that was part of a program to release elephants into nature, was found dead after falling off a cliff in a Northern Thailand forest.
“Plai Somrak,” a 37-year-old bull elephant, was released in Lampang province more than six years ago and lived deep in Doi Phamuang Forest. His body was found at the bottom of a cliff near a stream in the forest on Thursday morning, reported Thai PBS.
Park officials had been searching for the elephant for three days after learning that he was in musth (a male elephant hormonal breeding period often characterized by aggression) and had attacked a nearby elephant camp, ransacked it, and been chased chased away by the males living there. Officials were afraid he might cause harm to other people or animals.
Instead, they found him dead near Huey Mae Pon stream with a large bruise on his head. Veterinarians at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center said that Plai Somrak’s neck was broken, most likely from the fall off the cliff. They will examine hime thoroughly to be sure of the actual cause of death.
Plai Somrak was released into the forest as part of a program called “Releasing Elephants Into Nature” by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation. Find out more about what they do here:
