“Sida Thong Muan,” a wild elephant around 50 years old, has collapsed after continuous veterinary treatment for injuries. Initial findings revealed lung infection, several pressure sores, and body weakness from low food intake.
On 8 August 2026, Suki Boonsang, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, reported that the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation’s Protected Area Regional Office 3 (Ban Pong) informed him that “Sida Thong Muan,” a wild elephant about 50 years old, injured on its left hind leg and under veterinary care, had collapsed on 7 August.
Preliminary causes include lung infection, multiple pressure sores on the body, reduced food intake, and fatigue from prolonged lying down.
Previously, Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary officials and the veterinary team from Protected Area Regional Office 3 (Ban Pong) had been monitoring and treating Sida Thong Muan since 29 June 2026, after discovering its injury in the Khao Takhaeng forest, Slob village, Nong Kum subdistrict, Bo Phloi district, Kanchanaburi Province, outside the Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary area.
A treatment report dated 5 August noted that Sida Thong Muan was eating and drinking poorly, with food intake insufficient for its needs, showing signs of fatigue, increased resting, and reduced alertness and responsiveness to the environment, despite continuous veterinary care and supervision.
Going forward, the veterinary team will perform a necropsy to collect tissue samples for detailed examination of the cause of collapse, while the head of Salakphra Wildlife Sanctuary will file an official report and proceed to obtain approval for burial following official procedures.