Officials Blamed for Negligence in Wild Elephant's Death
A wild elephant named Sidaw Hupab died due to official negligence during a capture and relocation operation, prompting Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources to recommend disciplinary action and compensation of 5-10 million baht.
On July 22, 2025, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) reported the results of its investigation into the death of the wild elephant Sidaw Hupab. The investigation committee, established under secret order 194/2569 on March 11, 2025, found that officials exhibited negligence during the capture and relocation process of the elephant. The committee recommended disciplinary proceedings against the staff involved and ordered the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to pay compensation equivalent to the elephant's value, estimated at 5-10 million baht.
According to Nipon Jamnongsirisak, Deputy Secretary of the MNRE and chair of the investigation committee, the findings are now clear and based on legal principles. Field staff directly responsible for managing the elephant relocation are considered to have been negligent when the elephant died during the operation. Department executives involved in the relocation will be pursued for civil damages, with the compensation amount to be calculated more precisely according to scientific valuation methods.
