Jumbo row hits deadlock, goes to court

PHUKET: Talks to settle an ownership row over an elephant which is now part of a tourist attraction in the island province have collapsed, forcing the case to go to court.

The talks — brokered by a provincial livestock officer and held at Tha Chalong police station — ended i n deadlock between Somsak Riang-ngern and the Phuket-based Amazing Bukit Safari.

Mr Somsak claims he is the rightful owner of Phang Yo, an elephant allegedly kidnapped 14 years ago when it was left in woods in Krabi to give birth.

Mr Somsak says the elephant turned up at the Amazing Safari and is being used in a show. He demanded the pachyderm be returned to him.

However, the safari insisted the elephant in question was not Phang Yo. The safari’s management says the pachyderm was bought legally for 1.4 million baht from a man named Rewut Chuenkaew in Mae Ramat district of Tak and it had the documentation to prove it.

The registration number of the elephant at the safari and that of Phang Yo were different, according to the livestock office in Phuket. However, the office said the numbers alone are not conclusive verification of an elephant’s origin.

Further checks of the elephant’s physical characteristics will be conducted by experts.

The two sides attended the talks yesterday to try to solve the dispute but could not come to an agreement.

The Tha Chalong police suggested Mr Somsak file a legal complaint in Krabi to start a criminal investigation and pursue court action against the safari. In the meantime the elephant should remain with the safari pending the court’s ruling.

Mr Somsak said the safari demanded he buy the elephant to end the row. He refused, insisting he should not have to pay for what belongs to him.

Earlier, Mr Somsak said some elephants had been stolen by a gang which forged their identities and sold the animals on.