PHNOM PENH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A bull elephant that trampled its owner to death three days ago was shot dead early Friday after it rampaged through villages, smashing two houses and frightening villagers in northeastern Cambodia's Mondolkiri province, an environment official said.
"A police officer fired on the elephant's legs to stop him from attacking houses and people at 1 a.m. and the animal died an hour later," Keo Sopheak, director of Environment Department in Mondolkiri province, told Xinhua, adding that the mammoth had destroyed two houses and a fire truck.
He said that a team with tranquilizer guns took too long to respond, so the authority decided to shoot the elephant.
"We regret that this endangered elephant was killed; however, this was the authority's decision to ensure security and safety for the villagers," he said.
The bull elephant trampled its owner to death on Wednesday when it was in rut. Shortly after the attack, the animal had fled into the forest, but later came out of the jungle and rampaged through villages.
Cambodia is home to over 500 wild elephants, most of whom live inside the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondolkiri province, according to the Forestry Administration.
