A 7-year-old elephant died from electric shock after it was led across a road in Nakhon Nayok town today.
The male elephant, Permpoon, was crossing a traffic island with the mahout on its back when it touched a power cable near a power post.
Upon contacting the cable, the elephant trumpeted and collapsed on the ground with the mahout throwing out.
The mahout, Pongpan ?Baworn, was not hurt.
He rushed to the injured elephant but couldn’t help but just sobbed by its side and watch it dying.
Eyewitnesses later alerted local authorities for help.
It took hours before electricity men would arrive to cut power supply on the spot, and was too late for rescue to salvage its life.
Several telecommunication cables were also seen hanging down from the post.
A Nakhon Nayok veterinarian said he needed to check if the mahout had any official document to bring the elephant out its place.
If he has no official permit, he would be charged, the officer said.
He also said an autopsy would be conducted to find the cause of its death by the Kasetsart animal hospital in Kamphaengsaen district of Nakhon Pathom.
