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Haew Narok Waterfall |
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Nahm tok Haew
Narok
(เหวนรก)
in
Khao Yai
National Park
(fig.)
is a 3-tiered cascade,
of
which the name translates as ‘Abyss of Hell’
or
‘Hellish Abyss’,
which is also nicknamed Susaan
Chang Pah (สุสานช้างป่า),
i.e.
‘Wild Elephant's
Graveyard’.
A nature trail and a steep staircase lead to a viewpoint at the base of the
waterfall, which is the largest waterfall in the National Park. |
Along the trail
are some small stone statues of
elephants,
that have all but corroded away by the natural elements.
The statues serve as a of memorial to elephants that
have died falling into the waterfall. According to statistics
these kind of accidents tend to happen regularly, with
1 to 2 deaths annually nationwide, while in August
1992, a herd of eight wild elephants died when they fell into the abyss
of Haew Narok. |
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Haew Narok Waterfall |
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Haew Narok Waterfall |
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Sadly, on 25 October 2019, again six wild
elephants
died here after falling into the waterfall, 5 of them whilst trying
to help a circa 3 year old elephant calf that had fallen into the
first tier of the waterfall. |
The six
elephants were swept away and drowned, and their bodies
ended up at the base of the waterfall, that on this day
once again lived up to its name, while two more
struggling animals, one believed to be the mother of the
calf that drowned, were rescued by park officials. |
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Haew Narok Waterfall |
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Haew Narok Waterfall |
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However, a few
days later and nearby five more dead elephants were
spotted by drone footage, thus bringing the total deaths
to eleven pachyderms, all believed to belong to the same
herd, and making it one of the biggest losses of wild
elephants living in
National Parks
in Thailand on record.
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