In a very tragic turn of events, there are five elephants who are believed to have died while attempting to save one of their babies that accidentally slipped and fell over the side of a waterfall.

Located in southern Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park, the waterfall is aptly named Haew Narok or Hell’s Fall.

Officials from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation explained that experts were called into the scene during Saturday’s early morning hours after a group of elephants were blocking a road beside the waterfall.

Haew Narok waterfall, in Khao Yai national park, has been closed to all as of today (Saturday) after six elephants fell into a deep ravine and drowned.#ThaiPBSWorld #Elephants pic.twitter.com/kiTWSIShyX

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) October 5, 2019

According to a BBC News report, three hours later, the baby elephant was spotted at the foot of the waterfall and the five dead elephants were nearby.

There were two living elephants also near the edge of the cliff, however, Thai officials attempted to move them.

Haew Narok is comprised of three drops, all totaling more than 150 meters high. Normally, it’s a popular tourist destination, but after the death of the elephants, it has been made off-limits.

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The steep - almost absolute vertical - drop at Haew Narok Waterfalls in Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Nayok is roaring. The park’s and central Thailand’s largest waterfalls, this is a stunning multi-tiered cascade that requires a serious uptrek. A guided walk is highly recommended. Also, always check the weathers prior to your visit. #AmazingThailand #ReviewThailand #OpenToTheNewShades #InstaTravel #TravelThailand #ThailandTravel #ExploreThailand #WanderlustThailand #ThaiTravel #ThaiTraveling #TravelThai #ThailandTravels #HaewNarok #HaewNarokWaterfall #NakhonNayok #KhaoYai #KhaoYaiNationalPark #ThaiNationalPark #NationalParkThailand #ThaiWaterfall #WaterfallThailand

A post shared by Amazing Thailand (@tourismthailand) on Jul 3, 2019 at 2:51am PDT

Chief of the DNP, Thanya Netithamkul, said to the local media that elephants could be heard crying Saturday morning in the creek that leads to the waterfall, as reported by xinhuanews.



Netithamkul explained, “Park officials rushed to the scene to find a baby elephant aged around three years drowned on the top layer of the waterfall. They also noticed two adult elephants, which were frantically trying to advance into the flowing water to save their young, looking extremely exhausted. I have ordered the national park to close the area to tourists, and will find ways to prevent such accidents from happening again in the future.”

Six wild elephants found dead at "Haew Narok Waterfall" in Thailand, at the same place where it happened as well in 1992. pic.twitter.com/naXD9ubttP

— Edwin Wiek (@EdwinWiek) October 5, 2019

Elephants are herd animals who rely on one another for protection and food. As a result of the very tragic occurrence, the founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, Edwin Wiek, stated that any elephants left in the herd will find survival very difficult.

Not only that, but the tragedy has also taken its emotional toll on the elephants as they’ve been displaying signs of grief. Wiek spoke to the BBC and said, “It’s like losing half your family. There’s nothing you can do, it’s nature unfortunately.”

Sadly, this isn’t the first time something tragic like this has occurred. Back in 1992, a herd of eight elephants were killed after they fell down the cliff.

Khao Yai National Park is the third-largest national park in Thailand. It’s renowned for its wild animals who freely roam the land. What remains unclear is whether or not the waterfall will be reopened to visitors.

In the meantime, we wish the surviving elephants of the herd all the condolences and good vibes. Family loss is family loss no matter what species.

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If you are a nature lover, you are going to absolutely love these photos. These were taken very carefully but a photographer that obviously knew what she was doing. These are incredible photos of a fiery-throated hummingbird that are certainly incredible to look at.

They show the gorgeous design of the feathers as well as the fantastic color that makes this particular kind of hummingbird one of the most gorgeous that you are going to find in the world.

jessfindlay
It makes you just want to sit here and stare at it all day in appreciation. Luckily for you, these photos aren’t going anywhere, so go ahead and do just that. You won’t be the only who is going to do so, that’s for sure.

jessfindlay
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A lost baby koala thought it had found its mum when it hitched a ride on a pet dog in Stirling, Adelaide.

7news.com
Stirling local Henry told 7News he discovered the joey nestled in the fur of his dog, Tony, after letting his pet out in the backyard on Sunday (local time). Henry, who believed the motherless joey thought the dog made a perfect parental replacement, managed to capture the case of mistaken identity in an adorable video.

The joey initially refused to let go of Tony, who appeared bemused by his new furry passenger. The joey eventually hopped off, climbing back into the nearby trees.
The video, uploaded to Facebook by the Australian news outlet, has some viewers wondering if Koala Rescue should have been notified.


"Although very cute, it's also very sad. Obviously something happened to the mother... Koala Rescue should have been called," one woman commented.
"The baby koala had obviously lost his mother... Koala Rescue should have been called to help," said another.

Henry told 7News it's fairly common to see koalas in the town, which is located roughly 16 kilometres from the city centre in the Adelaide Hills. However, he said he has never seen a joey cling to a dog before.

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A group of young Peruvians has launched a project called ‘Bio Plant’ in order to help the world use less plastic. They have created biodegradable dishes made of banana leaves to reduce environmental pollution caused by excessive disposal of plastic. Every banana leaf plate used instead of a plastic one is one less item polluting our planet!

Chuwa Plant
This innovative product can decompose within 2 months – it’s completely degraded naturally before the 60 days are up. Those commonly used plates and containers made of polystyrene (styrofoam) on the other hand take up to 500 years, causing untold amounts of damage to the flora and fauna of the oceans and wildlife on land.

Chuwa Plant
With the co-financing of the Innóvate Peru Program (through the Bio Challenge contest aimed at supporting the development of innovative solutions focused on the sustainable use of the resources of our biodiversity), they were able to design and manufacture specialized machines – a presser, a shipper, and a die cutter – for the production of the biodegradable dishes. With the new equipment, they are able to manufacture 50,000 dishes monthly.

Josué Soto, the leader of the project, explained how they are working directly with small producers in the Peruvian Amazon, who are provided with a fair price and technical training to take advantage of the losses of banana cultivation.

The Chuwa Plant group has also made these dishes with paper and cardboard cellulose – all of which (including the banana leaf plates) are disposable (single use), resistant to various temperatures, liquids and can be used with any type of food.

Josué Soto said that they do not need to cut down banana trees or pluck their leaves as they break off when pickers remove the clusters of bananas from the tree.

The plates are rectangular in shape, measuring 22 cm x 16 cm x 3 cm (height) and are not carcinogenic because they do not contain styrene, a petroleum derivative that is found in other types of containers.


Bio Plant plates have already been in use in traditional and patron celebrations in various regions of the country. The group plans to enter the natural restaurants and ecological wineries market with their product. “The approximate sale price of our dishes is 100 to 120 soles (US$29.64-35.56) for 100 dishes, depending on the thickness of the sheet, but over time it may be more accessible to all consumers,” said Soto in Spanish.

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