The harrowing ordeal unfolded when the 10-year-old mother and her one-year-old calf slipped into a deep, 7-foot hole during the relentless monsoon downpour. Despite frantic efforts to extract them, the situation took a dire turn when the mother inadvertently knocked herself unconscious.
The one-year-old calf looks on with concern as her mother, ten, was jumped up and down on by a team of vets yesterday
A team of vets immediately leapt on the mother elephant after pulling her out of the hole so she would regain consciousness
The mother elephant looked worse for wear as she was hoisted out the deep golf drain by park rangers and a team of vets
The baby elephant was able with help to make her own way out of the ditch, having fallen in the previous night
In a riveting three-hour operation documented on video, a team of veterinarians and park rangers orchestrated the rescue, employing a cherry picker to hoist the massive mammals out of the drain. As the mother elephant lay incapacitated, her fretful calf remained by her side, unable to leave her alone in distress.
Lead national park veterinarian, Dr. Chananya Kanchanasarak, recounted the tense moments as they grappled with the fear that the mother elephant might call out to her nearby herd if they attempted to retrieve the calf first. Eventually, the mother regained consciousness following stimulation from both Dr. Chananya and her vigilant baby.
The baby elephant calf embraced its unconscious mother in worry as the group of men and women jumped up and down
The entire rescue effort took a total of three hours, with the mother elephant knocked unconscious after hitting her head
Lead national park vet Dr Chananya Kanchanasarak watches as a cherry picker pulls out the pair of elephants from the drain
Dr Kanchanasarak leads her team as they roll over the elephant so she can receive their urgent medical attention
The operation, characterized by meticulous planning and collective effort, culminated in the safe extraction of the elephants from the muddy drain. Once on stable ground, veterinarians promptly administered CPR to the mother, ensuring her recovery from the traumatic ordeal.
The crane is pictured putting her down after lifting her out of the ditch, with the baby soon to follow. CPR was then needed
The cherry picker crane was needed to pull the elephants out of the hole as the pair were unable to get out themselves
The baby calf appeared to be terrified as her unconscious mother was lifted out before receiving CPR from the doctors
With both mother and calf out of harm’s way, the relieved rescuers took a step back, allowing the gentle giants to reunite and retreat into the safety of the forest. Dr. Chananya expressed heartfelt gratitude for the collaborative endeavor and hailed the rescue as a standout moment in their collective experience.
The baby elephant couldn’t make her own way out of the 7ft drain as heavy monsoon rains lashed the national park
The crane was needed to lift the immense mother elephant out of the deep ditch in the Thai national park yesterday
Dr Chananya said the experience touched her team’s hearts and that it was one of the most memorable rescues they’d done
The two elephants became stuck in the drain amid intense monsoon rains lashing central Thailand yesterday afternoon
A crane was mobilised to lift the mother out of the hole after she fell in, possibly to retrieve her daughter, who slipped in too
The mother elephant fell head first into the golf ditch, with its legs scampering in the wet mud as it tried and failed to get out
As the elephants vanished into the wilderness, it served as a poignant reminder of the profound bond between mother and calf, emphasizing the imperative of conservation endeavors to safeguard these majestic creatures.
Rescuers and park rangers looked on as the elephants were allowed to walk back into the forest together after the efforts
This heartening rescue serves as a poignant reminder of the formidable challenges confronting Thailand’s elephant population, with a significant portion residing in captivity. It underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to preserve their natural habitat and ensure their continued existence in the wild.