Shocking moment an anguished elephant collapses as he is beaten and forced into a truck in Thailand
Shocking moment an elephant in distress collapses as it is beaten and forced into a truck in Thailand
- Handlers try to grab the anguished elephant from a truck in northern Thailand
- Men poke elephant with hooks as majestic animal lies unconscious
- It is believed that the animal is particularly irritable due to the mating season
A distressed elephant was brutally beaten after collapsing and fell after being forced into a truck in Thailand.
Footage shows the elephant named Plai Tongkhun being grabbed onto a ramp and onto the truck by a mahout riding the animal in Surin province in northeast Thailand.
The gruesome footage from November 17 captures the anguished elephant as men wielding hooks, long poles with hooks used to manipulate the elephant into pushing into sensitive areas, stand around the truck.
Handlers try to grab the anguished elephant from a truck in northeast Thailand
Footage shows the elephant named Plai Tongkhun being grabbed onto a ramp and onto the truck by a mahout riding the animal in Surin province, northeast Thailand
Men wielding bullhooks, long poles with hooks used to manipulate the elephant into pushing into sensitive areas, stand around the truck and the animal
The Asian elephant then collapses and falls after being forced into the truck in Thailand
The elephant falls from the truck and seems to lose consciousness
As the Asian elephant is in distress, the animal repeatedly strikes the side of the truck before falling backwards from the vehicle.
The animal then remains motionless on the ground for a short time while a handler wraps his arms around the elephant’s head to get him back on his feet.
A few other trainers then try to do the same, with other men nudging the elephant with their hooks, but the animal appears unconscious.
The dog-handlers then use the rope to beat around the waste and the legs of the immobile giant elephant.
The animal eventually regains consciousness and returns to its feet, with the mahout remounting the animal.
The elephant is thought to be particularly irritable due to the current mating season which lasts until early January.
When the elephant falls, the men use the hooks to beat and push the animal
The animal then remains motionless on the ground for a short time
The handlers then use the rope to tap around the waste and the legs of the motionless giant elephant.
Sujitta Jumjit, a bystander observing the horrific incident, said, “Plai Tongkhun was in musth, so the guards were trying to bring him back to camp.
“One of his eyes was blinded by the liquid secreted during the musth, so I guess he must have lost his balance and fell off the truck as he was irritated by everything around him.
“No one was seriously injured and Plai Tongkhun is now resting safely at the camp.”
Following the mating season, hormone levels rise and the elephant enters a state of ‘musth’ which lasts for a few months. Rising hormone and testosterone levels mean adult bull elephants can often clash due to the season.
The elephant is thought to be particularly irritable due to the current mating season which lasts until early January
The handlers then use the rope to tap around the waste and the legs of the motionless giant elephant.
The animal eventually regains consciousness and returns to its feet, the mahout remounting the animal
Elephants are Thailand’s national animal with around 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild in the country.
In Thailand’s wilderness, elephants are largely free-roaming in the country’s forests and national parks.
Majestic animals are also protected by Thai law. For killing an elephant you can be jailed for up to three years and fined 1,000 baht (£23).
Some elephants are also kept in captivity as part of the country’s tourism industry, in addition to being rented out for festivals and religious ceremonies.
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