Meanwhile in Thailand, Elephants Struggle to Evacuate Flooded Sanctuary

Flash floods in northern Thailand forced more than 100 elephants to evacuate to higher ground, while at least two animals were swept away presumed lost.  Dramatic videos and photos released by Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai showed panic-stricken elephants wading through flood waters as their human handlers struggled to lead them to safety.

Not all of them made it. The sanctuary is home to injured and elderly elephants and at least two were swept away by the flood, with two more missing. The park also housed other rescued animals – dogs, pigs, chickens – that also had to flee the flooded scene.

“This year’s floodwaters have been the highest and most severe we’ve ever experienced,” Saengduean Chailert, the park’s founder, said on Instagram. “Even high ground, such as the disabled dog kennel, was flooded, forcing us to evacuate them urgently.”

In less frantic conditions the handlers would sedate the animals to calm them for transport, but these elephants had to remain sober so that their trunks would not droop below water as they fled. The park shared images of elephants wading toward safety, the tips of their noses poking above the floodwater. (Watch a video posted by Guardian News.)

Northern Thailand was hit with severe flooding and landslides following Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit the eastern hemisphere this year, which slammed Southeast Asia in September. Hundreds of people across the region were killed, including 46 in Thailand.

Elephant Nature Park was opened in 2003. The sanctuary welcomes all kinds of support here.

Photo credit: Elephant Nature Park via Facebook