Humans and (hungry) elephants collide in 11 provinces
Wild elephants – there are about 3000 of them Thailand – plunder fields in search of food. They feast on sugar cane, cassava, bananas, coconuts and other fruits because their own habitat has become too small.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says some 15 protected forests in 11 counties are experiencing human-wildlife clashes.
Khao Ang Rue Wildlife Sanctuary
The situation in Khao Ang Rue Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao province is the most dramatic. In 2002 there were 136 wild elephants. Last year the number had doubled thanks to a high birth rate of 20 per year. Over a 12-month period in 2009 and 2010, Tha Takiab district had 117 farmland raids and 20 elephants killed. The wildlife park has deployed 50 rangers to catch poachers killing elephants for their ivory. The elephants have to go on a rampage, because their own habitat only provides enough food for 160 animals and the farms around the reserve are expanding. Every year they destroy 10.000 rai worth of fields of cassava and sugar cane in two districts alone.
After sunset, the jumbos cross road 3529, which runs through the reserve, to forage, about 3 to 10 elephants at a time. The villagers try to drive them away by making noise and setting off firecrackers. The authorities have asked farmers not to harm the animals. They have dug a 184-mile trench: 3 feet wide and 2,5 feet deep with a 45-degree gentle slope on one side so the elephants can backtrack when they enter the trench. Another 142 kilometers this year and 35 the year after. Furthermore, trees and plants will be planted to expand the food supply for the animals.
Salak Phra Reserve
The clashes between humans and animals in the Salak Phra reserve in Kanchanaburi date back to 1990. Previously they only occurred during the dry season, now they occur all year round. Over-exploitation of forest products is another reason why they go on a rampage. Elephants eat bamboo but the villagers chop it for sale. The reserve has about 200 elephants. A 17-kilometre electric fence has been installed in one place, but the voltage is too low to deter the animals. In addition, they have moved their routes to a place where there is no wire. In another place there is 11 kilometers of fence with a higher voltage. Ditches are not a solution here because the landscape is hilly.
Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park
In 2007, several groups of elephants turned up in the adjacent Chalerm Rattanakosin National Park. For the past two years they have been frequently looking for rice, bananas, coconuts and other fruits. The animals even entered a temple in search of salt. The villagers have tried everything to scare them away, but elephants are smart. 'They kicked about rocks to break spotlights in the area. They are very stubborn. If things become more serious, villagers might have to resort to harsher methods', says the chairman of the village council.
Ecological corridors
The most ambitious attempt to find a solution is to create 'ecological corridors': connecting habitats separated by human settlement. For example, an attempt will be made to connect Chalerm Rattanokosin (number 5 on the map) and Sri Nakharin Dam (6), where no elephants live. Ditto Chalerm Rattanokosin and Salak Phra (1). Hopefully humans and animals can live side by side in peace.
We should actually be very happy that elephants are still born in the wild, but since 2 children are born every second, which equates to 80 million people worldwide per year, there is no longer any room for these and many other animals in the wild worldwide. and if there is still room, they are killed for their skin, fur or ivory. 🙁
Yes,
I've always been taught mass before the reaction = mass after the reaction.
So if the world population continues to grow (+ obesity), then something must decrease (ie disappear).
A sad and especially poignant post that unfortunately does not come as a surprise in light of the gigantic deforestation in Thailand. The images of exploited elephants with their eyes blown out in the streets of Bangkok and other tourist places in Thailand will always remain with me. Thai friends always tell me that elephants in Thailand are “sacred” animals. When I ask why these animals are treated so scandalously, they remain unable to answer.
Especially the farmers, who live off the land, have little respect for flora and fauna here. An example. In the village where I live, the sugar cane is set on fire every year before it is harvested. Because then the leaves burn and only the stems remain, thus saving on labor costs. They are not interested in the fact that thousands of animal species perish in this hellish sea of fire (flames up to twenty(!) meters high). Not to mention the enormous air pollution (they call it here “laughing” hima dam = black snow) that is clearly visible on satellite photos and causes enormous breathing problems and respiratory infections, especially in young children and older people. , residents of their own village(!). I love this country, but the way people here treat nature fills me with disgust and disgust.
However, bean comes for his wages and they dig their own grave. I live in central Thailand and the farmers here lament that the crops (especially rice) are getting worse and worse. Because climate change is already a fact here. Rice can only be grown within certain temperature limits. In the ten years that I have lived here, it has become considerably warmer due to global warming and the continuous deforestation in Thailand. Thus evil punishes itself and future generations in Thailand will pay a high price for the "rape" of their Mother Earth.
Sorry for the lengthy response...
Excellent, substantive response, not a word has been said too much, so no apologies needed!