Gaur dies mysteriously in Phetchaburi

A 5-year-old bull gaur died mysteriously shortly after it came out of roadside bushes to encounter motorists on the road in Kaeng Krachan district of Phetchaburi province on Tuesday.

The incident happened on the road from Pong Luek to Bang Kloei and was reported by a motorist Bodin Chining as he was driving on the road.

He told local authorities that a wild gaur came out of the bushes and blocked him as he was driving on the road.

A few minutes later, the animal fell on its knees, flipped on its back before falling to the roadside ditch.

He said he then alerted local officials who later arrived with park officials from Kaeng Kracharn national park but only to find it already dead.

He said the gaur died half an hour later after he alerted local officials.

Initial inspection showed no wounds on the one-ton weight bull animal.

Officials said normally gaurs would not wander out to the place for food.

It was possible that heat might force it to wander out of their sanctuary, or it might be drive out by its herd due to growing population.

Veterinarian Kanokwan Taruyanon said she would cut pieces of it’s internal organs and feces for laboratory tests to find the exact cause of death.