Eleven elephants were found dead at the base of Haew Narok Waterfall in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park after trying to save a three-year-old member of their herd who had drowned. With the number of elephants in the wild dwindling, this devastating loss is a large hit to the community.
Investigations began when a number of elephants hovering near the scene attracted attention. Initially, they thought just six elephants had perished in the dangerous waters, but drone monitoring of the area revealed that five more brave souls had lost their lives. Officials found two more elephants at the scene, who appeared to be trying to help, and rescued them.
Recent studies show that elephants experience a wide variety of emotions, including empathy, and develop strong bonds within their communities. When a member of the herd is in distress, the other elephants go out of their way to help the one in need and comfort those experiencing pain, fear, and anxiety. This sometimes manifests itself in vocalizations or by nuzzling the other elephant with their trunks. Elephants actively assist young, sick, or injured herd members with walking, stay with them as they pass, or protect them by enclosing them in a circle. They also experience grief and will stand by their deceased loved ones and cry out at their loss.
Their capacity to empathize with and mourn members of their herd makes this tragedy all the more heartbreaking, as one can only imagine what they must have felt in the moments leading up to their deaths. It is horrifying that these magnificent creatures are hunted for trophy items when they have such beautiful souls and the capacity to experience loss and empathy in ways that appear so similar to the way we as humans feel and grieve.
These brave elephants died as heros. May they rest in peace.
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Could the government there do something about that waterfall?? I HEARD CHILDREN HAVE PERISHED THERE TOO!! A trap for human and wildlife a death hole!!
What an absolute tragedy. My heart breaks for those precious elephants.
Good People! Never give up! Stay strong. Many love you.
THIS IS SUCH A SAD STORY…ELEPHANTS HEARTS ARE BIGGER THAN MOST HUMANS. IT IS PROVEN THEY WILL DO EHAT IT TAKES TO PROTECT THEIR OWN. STOP THE CRUEL TROPHY HUNTING…IT IS DISGUSTING AND INHUMANE. GOD BLESS THESE BEAUTIFUL INNOCENT CREATIONS BY GOD…
This is very sad and a grave loss to the elephant community.
How very sad and what a great loss!
This is the result of the neglect of the forest authorities or whichever organisation is in charge of wildlife in Thailand. The Thais take their wildlife resources for granted and very often treat their wildlife with neglect. Elephants, already ready dwindling in numbers in Thailand, are captured, beaten and trained to perform unnatural and odd tasks such as to play polo,beg in streets, made to perform unnatural stunts to please ignorant and apathetic tourists from abroad and the local people. The Thais, although a Buddhist country, shows little respect and love for sentient beings. It is really unfortunate that this tragedy occurred due to the negligence of the forest authorities of that country. The least they could have done was to erect a wired fence to prevent the animals from falling. Sheer negligence!
Right you are. Terrible and so heartbreaking. They are such beautiful intelligent feeling sentient beings. This possibly could have been avoided.
This is heartbreaking. If only there were rescuers there sooner. If only people (hunters) knew the depth of their intelligence and empathy for members of their families. However these murderers don’t care. So sad..o>no words.
This was such a tragic event. It broke my heart.
I hope it never ever happens again.
How tragic and heroic. Very humbling.
So sad to hear.
proof elephants are compassionate mammals & truely heart wrenching.
This country should NOT allow hunters into Africa to slaughter elephants,
or any other animals, especially endangered. DON’T LET THEM INTO
THOSE COUNTRIES ! Just so those ‘hunters’ can have their ‘fun’.
They are very sick and evil scum who kill these animals just for the thrill
of killing , chop their heads off and mount them above their fireplaces
and brag about it. SICK SICK SICK