Baby elephant trapped in deep hole rescued

Baby elephant trapped in deep hole rescued

A baby elephant trapped in a deep muddy hole inside Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary in Chanthaburi is given water after being rescued from the hole on Thursday. (National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conversation Department photo)
A baby elephant trapped in a deep muddy hole inside Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary in Chanthaburi is given water after being rescued from the hole on Thursday. (National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conversation Department photo)

CHANTHABURI - A baby elephant trapped in a deep, muddy hole was rescued after a forestry patrol team heard the jumbo crying loudly at Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary in Khao Khitchakut district's tambon Khlong Plu on Thursday.

The animal tried in vain to get free of the hole, but failed. The rescue team, using a gunnysack and a rope, took 50 minutes to pull it out. 

The jumbo, weighing about 100kg and aged around one month, looked exhausted. The officials checked the animal’s health condition, gave it water and later let it walk toward its mother, anxiously waiting nearby. 

During the rescue operation, the panicked mother was heard trumpeting not far away. The mother calmed down after the baby got free of the hole, officials said.

Vet Pattrapol Manee-on, of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said the hole was about 2m wide and 5m deep, according to Matichon Online.

The incident prompted department chief Thanya Nethithammakul to issue an urgent order asking all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to survey areas prone to mudslides and flooding to prevent possible danger to tourists and wild animals.

There were reports that the hole had been dug by irrigation officials during a survey for the construction of a reservoir.

(Supplied photo)

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