A 47-year-old wild elephant known as Plai Duan was found with a broken left tusk after engaging in a fight with another bull elephant in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Khao Yai area on July 20, according to wildlife officials. The incident has raised further questions about the role of nutrition in tusk fragility.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — Wildlife officials in Khao Yai National Park confirmed this week that Plai Duan, a 47-year-old male elephant long familiar to park rangers and local residents, sustained a broken left tusk during a confrontation with another wild elephant. The clash reportedly occurred outside park boundaries on the evening of July 20.
According to Chaiya Huayhongthong, Chief of Khao Yai National Park, the incident took place around 9:00 p.m. in Moo 3, Nong Nam Daeng Subdistrict, Pak Chong District. Local witnesses observed the two elephants—Plai Duan and Plai Biang Lek, a 38-year-old male previously seen in a viral video raiding a grocery store—fighting in the area. Park rangers later discovered Plai Duan with only his right tusk intact.
On July 21, wildlife teams surveyed the site and found a detached tusk, estimated to be 50 to 60 centimeters in length and weighing approximately 5 kilograms. The tusk is categorized as a “scattered tusk”—a rare occurrence considered to have high monetary value. Authorities are now preparing documentation to officially transfer the tusk to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for safekeeping and further analysis.
Concerns about potential links between elephant nutrition and tusk fragility have resurfaced. In a similar incident in 2022, another male elephant named Plai Thongkham suffered a tusk break following a fight with a rival over mating rights. That case prompted scientific analysis by the National Synchrotron Research Institute, which found the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the tusk to be lower than standard reference values for Asian elephants.
The soil samples from Khao Yai, also tested during the 2022 investigation, revealed a broad presence of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, and zinc. However, the reduced calcium levels were attributed to elephants avoiding natural mineral licks, potentially due to human disturbance in these areas.
Officials noted that Plai Duan’s tusk will undergo similar scientific analysis to determine if dietary factors contributed to its structural weakness. The findings could have implications for the management of elephant habitats and visitor access to sensitive zones within the park.
The discovery was confirmed by Chief Chaiya and park rangers who have been monitoring the health and movements of wild elephants in the region. The Department of National Parks is expected to oversee further examinations of the tusk and conduct a follow-up on the nutritional status of the local elephant population.
