More than 100 elephants rescued from floods at Thai wildlife park

Around 100 elephants have been rescued after flash floods swept through a nature reserve in Thailand.

Around a dozen elephants remain trapped at the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai and two have died.

Dramatic video shows elephants wading through belly-deep water to find safety on higher ground.

The founder of the park, Saengduean Chailert, said it was the "biggest evacuation we have ever done to save their lives".

Video showed staff who work with elephants, known as mahouts, shouting, “Go go, keep going” as they urged the animals out of their pens and through the high floodwaters.

“There are some animals we could not evacuate yesterday. Thirteen adult elephants are still trapped in their quarters. They are panicking,” said Ms Chailert.

One of the two elephants which died was Ploy Thong, who was blind, the park has confirmed. Two others are still missing.

“My heart is broken. They were swept away by floodwaters before my eyes,” said Ms Chailert.

Northern Thailand has suffered severe flooding and landslides in recent weeks due to torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year.

Authorities in Chaing Mai, a popular tourist destination in Thailand, have issued alerts for potential flooding as water levels along the Ping River reach dangerous levels.

With extensive flooding around the park and waters still rising, the sanctuary’s founder said they are facing the unwelcome prospect of having to evacuate the animals a second time.

“The situation is a lot worse than yesterday,” she said, adding that she has requested urgent help from Thai authorities.

A priority is getting hold of boats so the mahouts can stay with the remaining elephants at the park to keep them calm, she said.

The Elephant Nature Park is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre in the Chiang Mai countryside that has rescued more than 200 elephants from the tourism and logging industries since its inception in the 1990s.

It also runs tours and volunteering programs that allow visitors to observe the animals or help with conservation work.

The head of Thailand’s Department of National Parks said that dozens of officers have been dispatched but have been unable to reach the park due to flooded roads.

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