Authorities in Preah Vihear province are closely monitoring six wild elephants, including a calf, that have moved from Choam Khsan district into Kulen district, urging residents to avoid nearby forested areas and take precautions to prevent encounters with the animals.
On October 16, local authorities and officials from the Preah Vihear Provincial Department of Environment tracked the herd as it moved from the Chraong area in Kaong Yaong village, Yeang commune, Choam Khsan district, towards the Kanchang and Kdol Kaong areas in Kulen Choeung commune, Kulen district.
An inter-agency task force led by the Kulen district administration, with support from district police and officials from the provincial Department of Environment stationed at the Ta Kaong environmental outpost, deployed drones to monitor the herd from the air.
The operation aimed to locate the elephants’ hiding places and identify areas where they were sheltering and foraging in the forests of the Kulen-Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary.
The task force located all six elephants, including one calf, resting and foraging among bushes and tree branches.
Provincial authorities and local officials have urged residents to exercise extreme caution following the herd’s arrival in Kulen district. Residents have been advised to temporarily avoid travelling or camping near forested areas and the Stung Sen River.
Authorities have also strictly prohibited people from chasing the elephants or firing warning shots using heavy equipment, warning that such actions could startle the animals and provoke them into attacking people.
Conservation experts said the area serves as a wildlife corridor and traditional habitat where the elephants have long roamed in search of food.
A joint task force remains on alert and continues to monitor the herd to protect local residents while supporting wildlife conservation efforts in the protected area.
- Tags: Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, wild elephants
