On November 5, rangers from Checkpoint 5 used drones to search for the calf but found no trace. The next day, wildlife-tracking officers and the Wang Phai Forest Protection Unit, along with the village headman, followed footprints heading deeper into the forest near Checkpoint 7 at Ban Saothong but were forced to halt due to continuous rain and safety concerns over nearby herds.
On November 7, monks from Wat Pa Luang Pu Mun in Ban Saothong village reported that the calf had wandered into the temple grounds. Permsak ordered rangers to investigate, but the elephant panicked at the sight of dogs and fled back into the forest. Drones were flown again that evening, but still no sighting was made.
On November 8, Huai Kha Khaeng officials deployed monitoring and elephant-control units around the temple and tracked footprints indicating the calf was moving back toward Village 18, the area where it was first spotted.
By November 9, rangers and villagers were on alert in both the temple and forest zones. Around 4pm, Village 18 headman Chatree Niamhom reported a sighting near a plantation. Patrol teams and local residents joined forces to rescue the calf, finally capturing it safely at 4.40pm.
Jiradet praised the successful operation as a testament to strong cooperation between rangers and the local community — a key factor in protecting wildlife and natural resources.
Veterinary teams from Regional Office 12 and the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Breeding Station have since entered the area to monitor the elephant’s condition and will provide further updates on its recovery.
