Karen national arrested over elephant carcass in Phetchaburi
A 26-year-old Karen man was arrested on April 13 by national park rangers in Petchaburi's Huay Khom Krit forest, which is a part of the huge Kaeng Krachan National Park, for allegedly killing an elephant in a protected area.
“The suspect is called Sudi [last name withheld] of Karen nationality,” Phichai Watcharaphongphaiboon, director of Protected Areas Regional Office 3, said on Thursday. “He also possessed a .22 custom-made rifle, 66 bullets and the carcass of boa constrictor, which was already smoked as food.”
Phichai said the rangers tracked down the suspect after they found an elephant carcass in the forest’s Tana Creek and speculated that it was killed by a group of hunters. The carcass was sent to Kaeng Krachan police station on April 14 for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
“Sudi reportedly confessed that he and two of his countrymen, Jilly and Blaeto [last names withheld] had been hunting animals in the forest, but the two escaped before the rangers showed up,” Phichai said. “Officials are canvassing the area to track down the two suspects.”
Kaeng Krachan is the largest national park in Thailand with nearly 3,000 sq km of forest area spanning Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. It lies on the border with Myanmar.