PHUKET: Four elephants are to be trucked off Phuket tonight after the owner agreed that the creatures are on the island illegally.

Officials visited the elephant camp site at Nakkerd Hill near the Big Buddha yesterday, Director of Livestock Phuket, Weerasit Puthipairoj, told Phuketwan.

Among the departing elephants is a new-born calf and her mother. The driver will be asked to drive slowly and carefully, all the way to Surin province.

''The pair will be trucked separately to the other two elephants,'' Khun Weerasit said.

Officials have discovered several illegal elephants on Phuket in recent weeks and are continuing a campaign to cap the number of elephants on the holiday island.

Elephant treks remain a popular holiday pastime despite a growing campaign in opposition to the cruelty involved in breaking and training the young animals.

Khun Weerasit is keen to enlist municipal councils on Phuket to be on alert for illegal camps and possible illegal elephants in their areas.

''Problems arise because of smells and pollution associated with elephant camps,'' he said. ''There is only one elephant camp on Phuket that is run the way it should be and that is the FantaSea camp.''