Unveiling the “Community Wild Elephants” of Khao Yai, Part 6:

The 6th member of the Khao Yai community wild elephant gang is Plai Nong Mai, a young bull about 10 years old with a height of over 2 meters. He was a young bull expelled from his herd around 2023, shortly after Plai Khrae.

He was named "Nong Mai" (Newcomer) because he appeared during the final stages among the total of 9 community wild elephants.

From the moment Plai Nong Mai tasted the abundant crops in the villagers' farms and plantations, he has since fully transformed from a forest elephant into a "community wild elephant".

Identifying Nong Mai is not difficult because he is an elephant without tusks. He used to have them, but they fell off a few years ago. Most recently, in March 2026, it was found that a right tusk has begun to grow and is bulging near his trunk.

Another unique feature is his right ear, which is torn into ridges, and a long tail with a full tuft.

Regarding his habits, Nong Mai typically wanders throughout Nong Nam Daeng and Mu Si sub-districts without a permanent territory. However, he is usually solitary, foraging quietly and avoiding making appearances.

As for aggression (if threatened), on a scale of 1-5 stars from least to most, officers and volunteers give him 2 stars because his underlying nature is to be fearful of humans.

Regarding the difficulty of herding him back into the forest, on a scale of 1-5 stars from easy to hard, the officers and volunteers give him 1 star. He is so easy to manage that simply shining a light on him causes him to walk away.

Nong Mai is therefore considered one of the members of the Mu Si gang that the elephant response team is not very worried about when receiving a report.

© 2025 Khaoyai Connect. All rights reserved.

No part of this content may be copied, modified, or distributed in any form without prior written permission.