Pattaya vets save baby elephant snared and shot in jungle

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Kampol Tansacha (right) and Dr. Padej Siridamrong received baby ‘Khwak Rak’ at Nong Nooch and immediately began nursing the injured pachyderm back to health.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden assisted the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to rescue a baby elephant snared in a hunter’s trap in Chanthaburi.

The calf, only a few months old, nearly lost its leg in the trap laid in the Kang Hang Maew forest. Its lower leg was torn apart and the calf had 10 shotgun-pellet wounds.



Veterinarians at the National Park Protection Unit at Khao Hin Khwak in Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park in Chanthaburi worked frantically to save the elephant’s limb.

Once stable, the elephant was brought to Nong Nooch Dec. 1 where Director Kampol Tansacha and Dr. Padej Siridamrong began nursing the pachyderm back to health.

Noong Nooch workers and veterinarians help move the baby elephant to the kraal where it will be nursed back to health.

In addition to food, rest and hydration, the animal is being given constant medical care.

Padej said the elephant’s condition was severe, but it is very young and the wounds were not life-threatening. Surgery was planned to remove the buckshot from the leg, some of which had damaged the bone.

Kampol named the baby calf ‘Khwak Rak’ after the place where it was found. He said Nong Nooch has arranged an experienced mahout to care for the animal around the clock, the same one who nursed ‘Fa Jaem’ a previous calf that had suffered even more serious injuries.


Baby Khwak Rak’s calf had 10 shotgun-pellet wounds.



A caregiver feeds milk to the baby elephant.


The baby calf almost lost its lower leg which was torn apart by the trap laid by cruel hunters.