Chalermchai Sri-on, leader of the Democrat Party and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, yesterday (January 16) addressed the issue of wild elephants encroaching on farmland used by local communities.
Speaking at a general inquiry at the Parliament building, Chalermchai explained that he envisions a solution where humans and elephants can coexist without causing damage. Currently, there are over 4,000 wild elephants roaming the country, some of which have been causing significant harm to lives and property, resulting in massive losses for local communities. With a birth rate of 7-8%, the number of wild elephants could double to over 8,000 within the next 10 years if no action is taken, leading to a national-level crisis.
He noted that on April 5, 2023, the Elephant Conservation and Management Committee proposed six measures to address the problem. He had since reviewed the measures to identify any areas that had not been implemented or needed urgent action. The six measures were as follows:
“As the elephant population grows, their foraging range expands, encroaching into agricultural areas. To make measures 1 to 5 effective, we must first stabilise the wild elephant population. This will allow us to implement forest expansion, food source enhancement, fencing, volunteer initiatives, and elephant management by authorities,” Chalermchai said.