Wild Elephant Demolishes House Searching for Food
A wild elephant from Khao Yai National Park demolished a home in Nakhon Ratchasima while searching for food, though the elderly resident escaped unharmed. Officials say food scarcity in the park may be driving multiple elephants to forage o
Nakhon Ratchasima — A wild elephant from Khao Yai National Park broke into a home in Ban Khao Wong, Nong Nam Daeng Subdistrict, Pak Chong District, and destroyed it while foraging for food. Fortunately, the elderly homeowner was not injured.
Khao Yai National Park officials and volunteer elephant handlers immediately responded to assess the damage. The elephant, identified as Plai Biang Lek (also known as Plai Ngong Thong), had ventured outside the national park's boundaries searching for food. Park staff and volunteers collected scattered rubble and conducted preliminary repairs before coordinating with other agencies for further reconstruction assistance.
The homeowner recounted that the elephant entered the village during the night, stopped at her house, and pushed its head through the doorway. When officials arrived, the elephant began demolishing the house wall before fleeing.
This incident is part of a persistent problem of wild elephants leaving Khao Yai National Park. Over the past several weeks, approximately five wild elephants, including Plai Biang Lek, have been venturing outside the park boundaries to forage. Experts believe the cause may be declining food sources within the park or the elephants' habitual behavior of regularly seeking food outside protected areas.
