Thai man found dead in ditch after catching frogs, elephant suspected as killer
An elephant became the prime suspect in the death of a Thai man who had gone to catch frogs on 18 May.
The day before, 59-year-old Chalo and his wife Chamroen went frog hunting together at around 8pm in the Thai province of Uthai Thani.
The couple didn’t have a particularly successful haul, returning home at 11pm with only two frogs.
At 2am on 18 May, Mr Chalo headed out alone on his motorcycle to catch some more.
He never returned, and locals later discovered his corpse in a drainage ditch by the roadside at around 7am.
Source: FM91
Man found in ditch with injuries to neck
Police officers found Mr Chalo’s body lying face-up, with a sharp knife and a frog-catching net nearby. He had injuries to the neck.
His motorcycle, carrying a sack for frogs, had also been knocked over at the roadside.
Source: FM91
Signs of elephant presence found at crime scene
After an investigation of the scene, police discovered elephant footprints around the drainage ditch, as well as elephant dung along the road.
Due to this, they suspected Mr Chalo’s killer to be a wild elephant.
Source: KhaoSod
Ms Chamroen awoke the next day to the tragic news of her husband’s death.
She speculated that Mr Chalo’s headlamp may have startled the elephant at night, causing it to charge at him and his motorcycle.
The elephant possibly then struck Mr Chalo and his vehicle, knocking him into the ditch and resulting in his death.
Source: KhaoSod
After the incident, the village head provided financial assistance of 20,000 baht (S$782) to the deceased’s family.
He also purchased the frogs Mr Chalo had caught for 500 baht (S$20) and released them into the forest.
Also read: Mother elephant mourns at accident scene after lorry hits & kills her baby in M’sia
Mother elephant mourns at accident scene after lorry hits & kills her baby in M’sia
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Featured image adapted from FM91.
