A prominent elephant sanctuary located in northern Thailand was hit with flash floods on Oct. 3, leading to the death of two elephants and the evacuation of around 100 more. Saengduean Chailert, the founder of Elephant Nature Park, stated this was the biggest evacuation they’ve ever done. Videos and pictures show elephants wading in stomach-high water.
Most have reached safety on a nearby mountain, but 13 elephants remain trapped in their quarters. One of the elephants killed in the flood was a blind elephant named Ploy Thong. There are also two that are still missing.
Northern Thailand has suffered from intense flooding and landslides in the last few weeks due to Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year. The storm brought torrential rains that inundated thousands of homes and killed thousands across Southeast Asia, including 46 in Thailand.
The Elephant Nature Park was established in the 1990s to rescue and rehabilitate elephants. The sanctuary has thus far rescued over 200 elephants from the tourism and logging industry. It also runs tours and volunteering programs so that people may see the elephants and help with conservation efforts.
The park has sent out a desperate call for help with the evacuation efforts. Evacuating the elephants is not simple, especially as many suffer from injuries or are blind. The park also hosts around 5,000 other animals that require relocation, including dogs, horses, rabbits, and pigs.