Loei villagers call for help to drive some 100 wild elephants out of their plantations

Residents of several villages in Tambon Phu Hor and Tambon Loei Wang Sai said the wild elephants from Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary have been living in herds of 20 to 25 beasts at several spots in the area.
They said the wild elephants were no longer afraid of firecrackers that the villagers were using to try and drive them back to the wildlife sanctuary.
The villagers complained that the wild elephants lived in their corn and tapioca plantations and ate their crops.
In addition, the elephants were now coming nearer to their homes and damaging property including water jars.
One of the villagers, Arisa Khampilanon, 37, who lives in Ban Wang Mon village in Tambon Phu Hor, said the influx started with a herd of 25 wild elephants straying out of the wildlife sanctuary in September to eat farm produce.
She said villagers and officials successfully drove the wild elephants back to the sanctuary but that they later returned, scattering around the two tambons and remaining there.