YANGON: A wild bull elephant that killed seven people during a period of musth in Tanai Township, Kachin State, was shot dead by a wildlife control team on the morning of October 28, according to local reports. (Musth is a period of heightened reproductive and aggressive behavior in male elephants.)
The approximately eight-foot-tall elephant went on a rampage near Tarung Village, along the Sat Sine Creek, on October 24 and 25, trampling seven people to death.
After attacking people near the creek, the elephant moved towards an area locally known as Nat Kyauk Kwin, near Taroan Village. Residents reportedly fired gunshots to scare it away.
By the evening of October 25, the elephant had moved towards Laja Bum Village, forcing local field guards and farmers to flee for their safety.
A local resident said the full death toll had yet to be confirmed, as people were fleeing the area during the attacks.
According to the resident, the elephant had become extremely aggressive and charged at anyone it encountered.
Efforts to capture the animal using trained elephants were unsuccessful, leaving the authorities with no alternative but to shoot it dead on October 28. The carcass was subsequently transported downstream by boat, the resident added.
There are 898 registered private elephants in Kachin State, including 97 owned by the Myanmar Timber Industry, according to the Kachin State Forestry Department.
A statement from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asian Elephant Specialist Group said that male elephants who are in a state of rage are becoming more aggressive than usual. – Eleven Media/ANN
