Rescued calf ‘Thanwa’ dies
Thanwa, an elephant calf that was being treated at Bueng Chawak Zoo in Suphan Buri has died after her condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, the zoo said yesterday.
According to the zoo, Thanwa passed away at 8.24 yesterday morning.
Residents in tambon Khao Chot in Si Sawat district found Thanwa injured and separated from her herd following heavy rain and flash floods on Nov 27.
They contacted Khuean Srinagarindra National Park officials in Kanchanaburi, who rescued the calf on Nov 29.
On Dec 3, Thanwa was transferred to the Bueng Chawak Wildlife Management Centre, where veterinarians noted she had sustained multiple injuries after falling down in the forest in the wet conditions. Since then, Thanwa had been in the care of zookeepers and veterinarians at the centre.
However, on Tuesday evening, Thanwa began to appear restless. At 8am the next day, she did not respond to calls from the staff.
The team tried to revive her but was unable to save her.
Separately, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said yesterday that the recent cold snap led to the death of a rescued tiger cub.
Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, director of the DNP’s Ubon Ratchathani Office, said he was notified on Tuesday that one of the tiger cubs that authorities had rescued from smugglers had died, despite the efforts of the veterinary team.
Mr Chaiwat said yesterday that Kham Daen, the three-month-old tiger cub, was found to have developed pneumonia caused by the cold weather.
The tiger cub became sick when the temperature suddenly dropped in Ubon Ratchathani province last week, he said.
Moreover, an x-ray of the cub’s body showed it might have suffered severe stomach ache, as veterinarians detected gas bubbles in his stomach, said Mr Chaiwat.
He said that gas bubbles were also found in the other three tiger cubs. However, they are confirmed to be healthy.
He said that all four tiger cubs were only two months old when they were rescued from the smuggler, a Thai national, in Laos on Nov 15.
Their immune system is expected to be more vulnerable to diseases compared to tiger cubs who are nursed by their mother, he said.