(Photo Credit: KOH SAMUI SUNSET)
This is probably the saddest and purest thing on the news today
Six elephants fell to their deaths in Thailand on Saturday trying to save each other from a treacherous waterfall. According to officials, the incident occurred after a baby elephant slipped over the Haew Narok Waterfall – otherwise known as “Hell’s Fall” – in Khao Yai National Park.
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said that authorities were called to the scene because a group of elephants was blocking a road by the waterfall.
After three hours of investigation, the body of the baby elephant, roughly three years old, was found near the base of Haew Narok. Five other elephant bodies were found nearby. Two other elephants were found struggling on a cliff edge but have since been rescued and moved.
Although the two elephants have been moved, they are still being monitored as the founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand Edwin Wiek said the pair may have difficulty surviving because elephants rely on large herds for protection and foraging for food. The incident may also take an emotional toll on the elephants.
This is not the first time the waterfall has lived up to its name. In 1992, a herd of eight elephants also died falling. The national park was temporarily closed following the incidents, and the story gained national traction.
Currently, around 7,000 Asian elephants remain in Thailand, but more than half live in captivity.
By: Maytinee Kramer
