Elephant migratory patterns have increased introduced instability into military planning.
An elephant that stepped on to a landmine on the border between Burma and Thailand has sent shockwaves through the region, jeopardizing military plans to wind down America's decade-long war in Afghanistan, experts say.
Thai veterinarians say a 22-year-old elephant was wounded when he wandered into neighbouring Burma and stepped on a landmine, the Telegraph reported. Local officials tried to suppress news of the tragedy to prevent further consequences, but Western correspondents disclosed the incident Friday.
"Regretably, the elephant foot injury shows all too well how fragile the overland routes in the region are," Claude Shannon, senior fellow at the Institute for Institutions told DS.
Shannon fears the impact of the elephant misstep could send perturbations across the continent.
Local villagers said the elephant tried to limp into the bush, and might have died, but quick-witted vets caught up with the beast and bandaged his wounds.
A. Hacker, an analyst for Whatfor, said the Bradbury "butterfly effect" continued to plague regional routes. "Burma is adjacent to India, and once you have India in the picture, naturally you have Afghanistan and Pakistan coming right after."
The elephant is now resting comfortably after months of treatment, changthai.com reported. But surgeons are concerned about the long-term implication on the elephant's gait -- and military delivery routes -- still to come.
"We're out of the woods, but we're not back in the bush yet," a physician who requested anonymity told DS.
Rights groups blamed both rebels and the military for multiple elephant injuries in recent years.
