A 75kg pit bull missing since escaping a durian orchard on Friday has sparked a dramatic four-day hunt in Nakhon Ratchasima. Thap Lan National Park has deployed a thermal drone and elephant unit amid fears the roaming dog could alarm or bite villagers.
A thermal drone, a national park elephant unit and scores of villagers are hunting a missing 75-kilogram pit bull after it vanished from a durian orchard in Nakhon Ratchasima on Friday night. Four days later, “Chao To” remains missing despite searches across farmland and forest near Thap Lan National Park. Although the family says the dog has never bitten anyone, they admit they always kept him confined because of fears that he could harm villagers. With a reward offered and fresh concern after recent pit bull attacks in Thailand, the search has become one of the kingdom’s most unusual animal hunts.
A thermal imaging drone is sweeping through farmland and forest near Thap Lan National Park as an urgent search continues for a missing pit bull. The dog’s owners fear the powerful animal could frighten or even bite villagers if it remains loose.
As a result, officials from Thap Lan National Park have joined local residents in an increasingly intensive effort to locate the animal.
The operation is centred on Khon Buri district in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The missing dog, known as “Chao To”, vanished from “Uncle Piek’s” durian orchard on the evening of Friday, June 19. The orchard is located about one kilometre from Nong Hin Khon village in Sa Wan Phraya subdistrict. Since then, the dog has remained missing despite days of searching.
Durian harvest escape sparks frantic hunt after giant pit bull vanishes from fenced orchard property
According to the owner, the escape occurred during the busy durian harvest. Workers hired to cut fruit entered the orchard and later left a gate open after finishing work. Consequently, all 11 dogs inside the fenced property rushed out.
However, while ten Thai breed dogs were eventually rounded up and returned, Chao To refused to come back. The large mixed-breed pit bull then disappeared into the surrounding countryside.
Mr Praphat Wannapong, 61, said the family launched an immediate search. Throughout Friday night, relatives searched nearby roads, fields and woodland. The following morning, village leaders were informed, and a wider operation began.
In addition, announcements were broadcast through village loudspeaker systems. At the same time, appeals were circulated online. Despite those efforts, no confirmed sighting led to the dog’s recovery.
National park elephant unit joins operation as thermal drone tracks missing dog after dark
In response, the family sought assistance from Thap Lan National Park. Officials deployed a rapid response team normally responsible for monitoring and deterring wild elephants in the area. This time, however, the unit faced a very different assignment. As part of the operation, park officers launched a thermal imaging drone capable of detecting heat signatures after dark.
Officials concentrated on areas where Chao To had reportedly been seen. Meanwhile, drone operators scanned orchards, farmland, forest edges and remote tracks stretching beyond the immediate village area.
Searches continued from early evening until approximately 11pm. Separately, ground teams checked locations both inside and outside the subdistrict. Nevertheless, the extensive operation failed to uncover any trace of the animal.
The concern surrounding Chao To centres on his size and strength. The dog is a brown male mixed-breed pit bull, approximately two years old. He weighs around 75 kilograms and stands between 70 and 80 centimetres tall. Because of those characteristics, the family has always exercised caution when keeping him.
Owner says fenced orchard was secured as family explains fears over dog’s size and strength
“The reason Chao To escaped from the orchard was because the durian harvesting team left the gate open after they finished cutting,” Mr Praphat said.
“This caused all 11 dogs to run out of the orchard. All the Thai breed dogs returned after being searched for, except Chao To.”
The owner said the dog was never allowed to roam freely outside the orchard. Instead, the property was fenced on all sides. According to Mr Praphat, those precautions reflected the family’s understanding that the breed requires careful management and supervision.
“In the past, we never let To out of the garden because he was big and we were afraid he would bite or harm villagers working in nearby fields,” he said.
“The entire garden has always been fenced because we know raising this breed requires extra caution.”
Family insists dog never bit anyone but fears growing as search enters a fourth day
Despite those concerns, the family insists Chao To has never harmed or bitten anyone. Instead, they describe him as playful and well-known within the household. Even so, his disappearance has created growing anxiety.
The family fears the dog could become stressed, exhausted or injured while wandering unfamiliar territory. At the same time, they worry he could unintentionally alarm residents who encounter him.
For Mr Praphat and his relatives, the search is deeply personal. They describe Chao To as a member of the family and say they have explored every possible avenue to bring him home. Consequently, village leaders have joined the effort, social media appeals have been intensified and specialised equipment has been deployed in the search.
Reward offered as search continues near World Heritage forest amid recent pit bull concerns
Meanwhile, reports of possible sightings continue to be investigated. Search teams remain active as the operation enters its fourth day. A reward has also been offered for information leading to the dog’s discovery.
Anyone with information can contact Mr Praphat on 065-290-0712, Village Headman Prayoon Thongbon on 082-517-1231 or village leader Adul on 084-477-4125.
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The search is unfolding near Thap Lan National Park, one of Thailand’s largest protected areas. Established in 1981, the park covers approximately 2,236 square kilometres across Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi provinces.
Furthermore, it forms part of the UNESCO-listed Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, which received World Heritage status in 2005 because of its biodiversity and importance as a habitat for threatened wildlife.
For now, however, park officials are focused on a far more unusual mission. Instead of tracking elephants through protected forest, they are using thermal imaging technology to locate a missing pit bull that has managed to evade search teams since Friday night.
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