What Kind of Heart Does This Take? Authorities Discover Nail-Studded Traps Set to Injure Wild Elephants at Khao Lam National Park
Park rangers at Khao Lam National Park removed 11 nail-studded booby traps set along elephant pathways in Kanchanaburi Province, with authorities investigating who placed the devices meant to injure passing wildlife.
Authorities at Khao Lam National Park in Kanchanaburi Province have condemned what they describe as a callous act of cruelty after discovering wooden traps studded with 4-inch nails placed along wild elephant pathways. Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Deputy Director Paiturya Intrabut and park chief Siriwan Saengkhawee ordered patrols to step up enforcement operations against wildlife crimes in the area. After receiving a report from village headman in Chakla Subdistrict that locals had discovered the booby traps in the Potana forest near a local shrine, rangers immediately investigated. Inspectors found 11 small wooden boards, each embedded with a 4-inch nail and strategically placed along known elephant passages. All devices were collected and removed by park officials for further legal action. Authorities believe the traps were set by someone with malicious intent hoping to injure or main passing elephants. Fortunately, local residents spotted the dangerous devices first, preventing what could have been a tragic outcome for multiple elephants that might have stepped on the nails.
