Lampang: Plai Khundet has been moved to the National Elephant Institute in Lampang Province, ending the drama after being left at the Elephant and Environment Conservation Foundation in Chiang Mai Province. The team moving the elephant, including veterinarians and more than 30 officers, began the operation early this morning by taking a truck to wait in front of the elephant pen inside the Elephant Care Center of the Elephant and Environment Conservation Foundation in Muang Kuet Village, Kuet Chang Subdistrict, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province, before using a rope to tie Phlai Khundet and herd him onto the truck. The media and unrelated people were not allowed to enter the elephant moving area.

According to Thai News Agency, almost 20 officers were mobilized to help pull Phlai Khundet, who was somewhat resistant, onto the truck. But in the end, they were able to get him onto the truck successfully. It took more than 2 hours before the elephant was moved to form a procession on the road in front of the
Kuet Chang Subdistrict Non-Formal Education Center. While the moving team was preparing, Phlai Khundet used his trunk to push the sign on the side of the truck until it broke. But there was no violence. The truck will take Phlai Khundet to his new home at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, National Elephant Institute, Lampang Province.

For Phlai Khundet, a wild elephant injured from being caught in a hunter’s snare, causing its left front leg to become disabled, he is one of two elephants that Ms. Kanchana Silpa-archa brought to be cared for at the Elephant Care Center of the Elephant Conservation and Environment Foundation for many years. This continued until the major flooding occurred in early October, and there was a dramatic exchange between Ms. Kanchana and Ms. Saengduean Chailert, the foundation’s president, regarding the care of the elephants. This led to a post asking for the elephants to be taken back, resulting in the orphaned elephant, Pang Dok Kaew, that Ms. Kanchana bought and cared for, be
ing moved from the foundation to the Phatra Farm Elephant Camp in Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province two weeks ago. Today, Phlai Khundet, an elephant belonging to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, was moved to be cared for at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang Province.