Give way to elephants, or go to jail

[Nereus]

Give way to elephants, or go to jail

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... go-to-jail

KANCHANABURI: Motorists using a highway also favoured by wild elephants in Muang district have been warned they face up to 10 years' imprisonment and a million baht fine if they hit and injure one of the giant animals, and wildlife authorities will strictly enforce the penalties.

The warning follows a number of recent collisions resulting in the severe injury or death of wild elephants.

Paitoon Inthabut, chief of Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary, said on Thursday that 35 signs warning of wild elephants crossing the road had been posted along the 15-kilometre section of Highway 1399 between tambon Wang Dong and tambon Chong Sadao.

Elephants regularly crossed the road when moving from one feeding area to another.

The warning signs also set a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour and warned of imprisonment and fines on motorists who hit a wild elephant.

With so many warnings posted, motorists could not make the excuse they were unaware of the presence of wild elephants along that section of highway or the legal penalties for hitting one, Mr Paitoon said.

Even so, there were several cases of vehicles crashing into wild elephants.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had ordered the wildlife sanctuary office to intensify measures to protect wildlife, he said.

"If motorists break the speed limit and hit a wild elephant, they will be prosecuted," Mr Paitoon said.

He said the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act provided for a prison term of up to 10 years and/or fine of one million baht if a wild elephant was killed or injured by a motor vehicle, whether intentionally or not

Under the same act, the offending motorist would also have to pay hundreds of thousands of baht in compensation for each harmed elephant.

elephants.jpg

One of 35 signs warning motorists of wild elephants crossing the road, posted along a 15km section of Highway 1399 in Muang district, Kanchanaburi. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)

(170.55 KiB) Downloaded 2139 times

[handdrummer]

Too bad it's not the same for humans.

[europtimiste]

Reduce the number of elephants in Thailand.

[Dannie Boy]

Reduce the number of elephants in Thailand.

Why do you have to be so provocatively stupid?

[europtimiste]

Reduce the number of elephants in Thailand.

Why do you have to be so provocatively stupid?

I am realistic. Truth is sometime not pleasant for some people.

[HHTel]

Reduce the number of elephants in Thailand.

The elephants have been here for 16 million years. 100 years ago there were 100,000 elephants.

Now there are less than 4,000. Why do you think that is.

You continue to show just how stupid you really are.

[Nereus]

I doubt that elephants use more than 1 or 2 places to cross, and that would be to get to obvious food or water sources. A couple of underpasses in appropriate places and the elephants would soon learn to use them.
But then, that requires thinking outside the box!

[bigston]

Thinking outside the box would involve 12 committees,29 sub committees, 24 cabinet meetings
33 new appointments.
then and only then, no one would know how to actually open the box..
just as well elephants have good memories, they could perhaps show them....

[VincentD]

Wild elephants are not your typical domesticated variety. Saw one bigger than my car around 2 a.m. outside the house in Chonburi, they come down from the hills and destroy crops. We planted 20 jackfruit trees more than 5 years ago, they came just as the trees started fruiting and destroyed the trees to eat the fruit. Another neighbour lost over 100,000 baht when they came and ate the newly planted palm trees, all in one night. The military do occasionally show up to try and keep them away, but it's fairly half hearted. Also, several people have been trampled to death, this almost never makes it to the mainstream media.

[VincentD]

We just don't plant crops they typically eat any more, so they now just pass by on the way to raid someone else's place.

[bigston]

And we ask them, or not, to live on the size of a postage stamp

[VincentD]

They have a lot of space in the hills. The locals believe many were domesticated elephants that were let loose in the middle of the night not long after a law was passed banning elephants from entering the cities and catering to the tourist trade. The elephants multiplied are not afraid of people but the offspring are wild.

[europtimiste]

Reduce the number of elephants in Thailand.

The elephants have been here for 16 million years. 100 years ago there were 100,000 elephants.

Now there are less than 4,000. Why do you think that is.

You continue to show just how stupid you really are.

Wishing nowadays still 100,000 elephants with a higher population is to be more than stupid and I am careful with my comment in order not being censored.

[europtimiste]

I doubt that elephants use more than 1 or 2 places to cross, and that would be to get to obvious food or water sources. A couple of underpasses in appropriate places and the elephants would soon learn to use them.
But then, that requires thinking outside the box!

Such underpasses exist for frogs, but for elephants must be much larger and will be more expensive.

[buksida]

They cant even prevent people from killing each other on the roads in Thailand, so there is no hope for wildlife.