Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – A heartbreaking incident of wildlife death occurred in the Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia, where a pregnant female elephant and her newborn calf were found dead. Preliminary investigations indicate that their deaths are directly related to injuries sustained in a bombing attack by Thai forces.
According to the on-site inspection report, patrol officers and local community members discovered the bodies of the two elephants in a stream within the reserve. The deceased female elephant had multiple penetrating wounds caused by shrapnel from a bomb fired by Thai forces. Due to the extreme severity of her injuries, the female elephant suffered a miscarriage in extreme pain, ultimately resulting in the deaths of both mother and calf.
The search and rescue operation reportedly began on December 14th. At that time, patrol personnel discovered footprints of the injured elephant in the area, along with significant amounts of blood on the ground and in the grass. The Director of the Preah Vihear Provincial Department of Environment immediately dispatched the wildlife reserve patrol team, along with experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), to form an emergency task force to conduct the search.
However, the search and rescue operation faced numerous obstacles. The target area is densely forested, making the search extremely difficult. The incident occurred on the front lines of a conflict adjacent to the border, and frequent military clashes prevented rescue personnel from reaching the core area for timely medical intervention. The team finally located the elephant carcass on December 22nd.
Minister of Environment Ing Sopheak strongly condemned the incident. He pointed out that such acts of aggression against Cambodia's territorial sovereignty not only endanger the lives and property of the people but also cause irreversible damage to the region's natural resources and biodiversity.
"This violation of Cambodia's territorial sovereignty is a serious breach of international law," Minister Ing Sopheak emphasized. "According to international law, it is strictly prohibited to target or destroy environmental and nature reserves during armed conflict. The death of this elephant is yet another irrefutable proof of war crimes against the environment."
Currently, Ministry of Environment officials, together with relevant departments, are conducting in-depth evidence collection at the scene and are strictly adhering to technical standards to ensure the harmless disposal of the elephant carcass. The Cambodian government will continue to closely monitor the ecological security of the border region and calls on the international community to pay attention to the threat posed by military conflict to the habitats of endangered species.
