PRACHINBURI — 8 June 2026, National Park officials, along with local leaders and rescue volunteers, have urgently deployed drones on Saturday to safely guide a wild elephant that strayed from its herd back towards Thap Lan National Park, a World Heritage site, after it wandered across districts into a densely populated community in Kabin Buri district, Prachinburi province.
The wild elephant is a young male that became separated from a herd of about 60 elephants in the Thung Pho area of Na Di district, Prachinburi province before travelling more than 30 kilometres on foot across several subdistricts and crossing Highway 304, before approaching a village area in Mueang Kao subdistrict, Kabin Buri district.
At 17:45 on Sunday, a rescue volunteer with the Sajja Phutthatham Foundation of Thailand (Kabin Buri), Panuwat Pansai, revealed that residents reported sightings of the stray wild elephant entering Ban Muang, Moo 7, Moo 18, and Moo 21 of Mueang Kao subdistrict, Kabin Buri district, a heavily populated residential area. The animal was found sheltering in a bamboo grove near villagers’ homes. Meanwhile, Sanya Chanwaeo, headman of Mueang Kao subdistrict, said authorities first received reports of the elephant late the previous night. He subsequently coordinated with Thap Lan National Park officials, the Mueang Kao Subdistrict Administrative Organization and a wild elephant pushback volunteer team to monitor the situation and protect the lives and property of the residents, with the goal of driving the elephant back into the forest.
At 21:50, Prawatsat Chanthep, the chief of Thap Lan National Park, stated that records showed the same elephant had previously entered the area about two years ago, suggesting it might have remembered the migration route. Officials from Thap Lan National Park, Khao Yai National Park, and a special task force base deployed more than 50 personnel to control the situation and four drones to monitor and steer the elephant in a safe direction.
Prawatsat expressed concern that the elephant had become irritable due to lack of sleep and stress caused by crowds gathering to watch it, as well as people following it on motorcycles. The animal suffered minor injuries after walking into barbed-wire fencing. Initially, officials will gradually push the elephant along forest corridors towards Sam Phanta subdistrict in Na Di district, with public safety remaining the top priority. Residents were requested not to approach or follow the elephant at close range, as doing so could further stress the animal and increase the risk of injury.
