Baby Elephant With Snare Guards Dead Mother in Chanthaburi
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Conservation Area Administration 2 (Sriracha) is mobilizing a veterinary team to help a wild elephant calf found circling and guarding its fallen mother in a rubber plantation, with a snare attached to its left front leg.
At 9:00 a.m. on November 1, 2026, Conservation Area Administration 2 (Sriracha), together with Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park, the Khlong Krok Ranger Task Force (Task Force 1306), and community leaders, inspected a wild elephant collapse in a rubber plantation in Moo 6, Pawa Subdistrict, Kaeng Hang Maeo District, Chanthaburi Province. They found a male wild elephant calf, approximately 1 year old, staying close to its mother's carcass. Observation revealed a snare caught on the left front leg. Officials immediately coordinated an urgent veterinary response.
Mr. Phitak Yingyong, Chief of the Wildlife Conservation Division, stated that the most urgent mission is to assist the calf. The snare is caught on the left front leg but fortunately is not tightly constricted to cause severe injury. He ordered veterinarians and staff to urgently remove the snare and conduct a necropsy on the mother to determine the exact cause of collapse, as well as thoroughly assess the calf's condition.
Preliminary examination of the calf's environment and body found it to be a male, approximately 1 year old, with a body condition score of 4 — good and appropriate for its age. Fecal analysis showed mostly wild banana fiber and grass, indicating the calf has started learning to forage and can eat natural vegetation well.
Regarding the snare on the left front leg, preliminary checks show it is loose, not tightly bound to cause serious harm. However, officials must work with extreme caution because the calf continues to stay by its mother's side constantly, to avoid causing stress or danger to the animal. As for the mother's death, its exact age, and whether the cause was natural, human action, or the snare, the veterinary team must await detailed necropsy results. If illegal activity is found, officials will investigate to identify the perpetrator for prosecution.
The Wildlife Conservation Division and Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary have prepared a ready and safe holding area for the calf's care. Once the veterinary team arrives, they will safely remove the snare from the left front leg, conduct the mother's necropsy, and reassess the calf's condition before transferring it to a rehabilitation and health recovery process in a suitable facility following academic principles.
