Elephants retreat after night-long standoff near farmland in Korat

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: About 100 wild elephants retreated after a standoff with volunteers trying to protect farmland in Khon Buri district of this northeastern Thai province from Saturday night to early Sunday morning.
Volunteers spotted at least 20 wild elephants gathering near the boundary of the Thap Lan National Park at about 9pm on Saturday. The wild animals appeared to be approaching sugarcane, cassava and cord fields in Taling Chan village.
About 50 volunteers were then mobilised to confront the pachyderms. They shouted to scare away the animals.
In response, the elephants trumpeted and more of them showed up along a five-kilometre stretch of the border between the national park and the village. Volunteers counted about 60 in total within 300 metres of the village.
The volunteers then drove about 10 vehicles including heavy trucks along the border. They shouted and lit fireworks and firecrackers to discourage the elephants from stepping closer to the farmland. Meanwhile, the wild elephants regrouped into large herds of 40-50 each.
The standoff continued until 3am on Sunday, when the elephants finally retreated into the national park.