ANKARA

Volunteers shouted and lit fireworks and firecrackers to force dozens of wild elephants to retreat after a night-long standoff in northeastern Thailand, local media reported on Sunday.

The standoff lasted from Saturday night to early Sunday morning after about 100 wild elephants gathered near the boundary of the Thap Lan National Park in northeastern Khon Buri district, and appeared to be approaching sugarcane, cassava, and cord fields in Taling Chan village, Bangkok Post reported.

About 50 volunteers mobilized to confront the pachyderms and protect the farmlands.

In response to shouting from volunteers, the elephants trumpeted and more of them showed up along a five-kilometer (3.1 miles) stretch of the border between the national park and the village.

Volunteers counted about 60 in total within 300 meters (984 feet) of the village.

The standoff continued until 3 am local time on Sunday when the elephants finally retreated into the national park.