NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two people out running who were seen taking selfies with a wild elephant had put themselves in great danger, the Khao Yai National Park chief warned on Thursday.
Kanchit Srinoppawan said the decision by the two runners to take selfies with the elephants was extremely foolhardy.
The two runners were seen moving closer to a wild elephant and then taking photos on a road to the park on Sept 13 by Kamron Petprayoon, who posted a photo and a message about it on his Facebook account on Wednesday.
Mr Kamron said he stopped his car to take pictures of the elephant from afar, and saw the two runners move closer to the beast for a selfie. He said the elephant then chased the two along the road.
The runners took off and only when they were in the distance did the elephant stop. It roared and stood in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic until park officials arrived to coax it back into the forest.
The park chief said all tourists should avoid getting close to elephants to take photos. It would only make the animals angry and they could attack people.
People should take extra caution if they see an elephant spread its ears and point its tail upwards. This was a sign it was annoyed or angry, he said.
