Wild elephants and wildlife are important to the Kui Buri forest ecosystem. Wild elephants
are pioneers of new paths in the forest and are considered the elders of all wildlife in this
forest. The Kui Buri Wildlife Conservation Project has worked together with Kui Buri National
Park, government agencies, private sectors, and local communities to jointly reduce
conflicts between people and wild elephants so that they can coexist sustainably.
The Kui Buri Wildlife Conservation Project, in collaboration with government agencies, private sectors, and communities, supports knowledge by organizing training in data collection and Smart Patrol technique. The project also provides necessary equipment for wildlife status research in the Kui Buri forest area, as well as managing wildlife food sources and habitats in cooperation with Kui Buri National Park. It also organizes activities to provide knowledge to students in schools in the Kui Buri National Park area and supports training for youth and members of the Kui Buri Wildlife Conservation Tourism Club who have been affected by wild elephants so that they can create a career and generate additional income.
Implementation of the project to study the population of wild elephants in Kui Buri National Park by identifying the individual characteristics of elephants by means of genetic testing from elephant dung. Wildlife surveys are conducted using automatic camera traps and unmanned aerial vehicles or drones to track traces of wildlife and plant species in the area. The data collected will be used to expand and plan the future operations of the project.
The project is currently restoring the ecosystem by improving the grass plots and removing weeds covering 100 rai, which are important food sources for wildlife. Improvements are continuously being made every year. There are also activities to grow elephant food seedlings and activities to add artificial salt licks and fill water pans to meet the needs of wildlife in the area.
Threats to wild elephants in Thailand arise from the conversion of some forest areas to agricultural crops, community expansion and population growth, which inevitably bring the habitat boundaries of humans and wild elephants closer together, leading to human-elephant conflict in Thailand. Reducing human-elephant conflict is an important goal of the project.
Collaboration between WWF-Thailand, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and surrounding communities, along with the introduction of an early warning system supported by True Move H Universal Communication Co., Ltd. and use of thermal drone technology to track and monitor wild elephants, aims to increase the efficiency of pushing them out. Although the human-elephant conflict situation in the area has improved, the resolution of habitat loss and the complete resolution of the issue has not yet been successful. The project must continue to work to ensure the safety of both people and elephants.
Supporting training and providing knowledge of SMART patrol techniques, such as using maps, compass, GPS, recording wildlife data, and basic first aid. This includes providing necessary equipment, tools, and food supplies, such as mosquito nets, raincoats, flashlights, rice, dried food, household drugs, and other essentials for patrol officers to
perform their duties. The goal is to support more efficient to assist in monitoring and pushing out wild elephants in the area.
Monitoring wild elephants and pushing wild elephants back into wildlife habitats to monitor wild elephants coming out to disturb the villagers’ crops and agricultural products according to the agreement that the villagers, Kui Buri National Park, Hat Kham Sub district Administrative Organization, and members of the House of Representatives signed to jointly monitor wild elephants coming out to destroy agricultural products and have been practicing together continuously until now. In addition, organizing activities to provide knowledge to students in schools in the area and supporting training for youth and members of the Kui Buri Wildlife Ecotourism Club who are villagers affected by wild elephants to be able to create jobs and earn additional income.
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