Severe flooding in Thailand forces evacuation of elephant sanctuary

A well-known elephant sanctuary in Thailand appealed for help on Friday after torrential flash floods forced the evacuation of about 100 elephants.

Videos and pictures released by Elephant Nature Park near the northern city of Chiang Mai show elephants wading through belly-deep floodwaters, the tips of their noses poking like periscopes out of the murky deluge. Some were accompanied by staff members, the water lapping up as high as their chests.

The sanctuary, also home to injured, neglected and elderly elephants as well as other rescued animals, said in a Facebook post that some of the elephants had been swept away by the flood, and two remain missing.

"This year’s floodwaters have been the highest and most severe we’ve ever experienced," Saengduean Lek Chailert, the founder of Elephant Nature Park, said in a post on Instagram. "Even high ground, such as the disabled dog kennel, was flooded, forcing us to evacuate them urgently."

The strong flood caused "significant" damage to large areas of trees and grasslands in the park, Saengduean said. "In less than half an hour, the water level rose rapidly, and we worked tirelessly to evacuate all the animals to safety."

Staff member Pitsuda Masith told NBC News on Friday that nine of the park's approximately 100 elephants had still not been evacuated, mostly males that are quite wild and not easy to relocate. Flood waters had receded to about 3 to 6 feet, compared with 13 to 16 feet on Friday morning.

"The elephants are hanging in there," Masith said. 

Food and other necessities for the nine remaining elephants must be sent via boat as some areas are inaccessible to trucks, she said. The rescued elephants are headed for the mountains where they will be safe from the flooding.  

Another staff member said that about 30 foreign volunteers, including some Americans, who had been trapped at the sanctuary were now safely out and staying at a hotel.

The park called for assistance and more volunteers to join the rescue operation as roads have been entirely cut off in both directions.

"What we need most right now are boats, small animal cages, and waterproof tarps, as the area is completely flooded, and we can only relocate them to the mountains," the park said on Instagram.

In addition, the park said it had lost electricity and telephone network coverage.

In recent weeks, northern Thailand has suffered severe flooding and landslides due to Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year. The tropical storm inundated thousands of homes and killed hundreds of people across Southeast Asia, including 46 in Thailand.

Elephant Nature Park was established in 2003 as a permanent sanctuary for elephants rescued from the logging and tourism industries by Saengduean.

Nat Sumon reported from Bangkok, and Peter Guo from Hong Kong.

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