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Elephants on a walkabout

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BANGKOK, 26 October 2018: Wild elephants residing in a national park just a three-hour drive north of the Thai capital enjoy walkabouts on a road through the heart of the park.

According to park officials it is now a common sight to see herds of elephants, often with calves, plodding along sections of the asphalt road that covers around 50 km from the southern to northern park gates.

The road at the southern end was resurfaced recently and officials surmise the elephants are using it as a shortcut between waterholes, or they have taken a liking to the smell of asphalt.

At the park’s southern gate, a 20-kilometre stretch of winding road climbs from 400 metres to a grassland plateau at more than 1,000 metres. It’s a popular training route for Bangkok cyclists who are keen to hone their hill-climbing skills, but now they face competition from remarkably fleet of foot herd of elephants.

Park officials are advising extreme caution warning car drivers to reverse slowing if they encounter an approaching herd “hogging” the park highway.

They are not averse to trampling on cars if the owners are impatient, flash headlights, honk the horn, or generally behave like they own the road that climbs through hilly and densely forested parkland.

Despite the park welcoming more than 1.2 million visitors a year the wild elephant population is thriving and some of the more adventurous elephants frequently take a stroll on the road causing panic. They particularly dislike noisy “big bikes” and pick-up trucks fitted with booming stereo racing through the park.

In a report filed by Khao Sod online news the park’s chief said a video clips shows around 25 elephants taking over the road last week. It took around two hours to clear the highway.

Link to Khao Sod video report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn_zbs5a7_4

Thailand’s first ever-national park, founded in 1962, is one of the most popular weekend venues for Bangkok residents especially as the cool season approaches.

The national park’s chief warns visitor to be mindful of animals, avoid making a noise, honking the car horn, turning up the stereo music or taking flash photography.  If elephants are sighted on the road, visitors should call the national park office for assistance.

Visitors should stop their car at least 50 metres from the herd and if an elephant approaches the car, they should slowly reverse or park until the elephant departs.

For the hundreds of recreational cyclists, who tackle the long climb to the plateau from the south gate, encountering elephants on the way up is not a big issue. Riders quickly U-turn and hightail downhill well out of an elephant’s sprint range. However, a real and present danger occurs when cyclists, already well into their 20-km descent at high speed, come across a herd when cornering out of sharp hairpin bends. There’s no time to brake and the elephants are not going anywhere.  Oops!

If an elephant stares you down at close range, reduce your profile, bow and wai (Thai greeting) very graciously. There is video evidence that appears to show wild elephant respond to a prayerful wai or is it a silent plea for mercy?

Wai saves motorcyclist:
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2015/10/20/1445322896/

(Source: Khao Sod)

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