Floods swamp Chiang Mai elephant park, staff scramble to save animals
Urgent plea for help as more than 1,000 elephants, dogs and cats carried to higher ground after flash floods inundate sanctuary in Mae Taeng district
Reports have been drawing attention to the severe flooding in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district, where runoffs and an overflowing Mae Taeng River have inundated the Elephant Nature Park.
This flooding has prompted the evacuation of more than 100 elephants, along with hundreds of ill dogs and cats, to higher ground.
Sangduen Chailert, director of the Elephant Park and Clinic and president of the Elephant Nature Park, posted photos and videos of the evacuation efforts on her personal Facebook page.
The images showed the shifting of more than 1,000 elephants, dogs, cats and chickens out of the centre. In her post, Sangduen noted that the flood waters had risen high enough to submerge the perimeter walls.
The Facebook page “Animal Aholic” also posted a plea for volunteers to help transport the animals to higher ground. Its post read: “Urgent! The Elephant Nature Park in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai, needs volunteers with jet skis, flat-bottomed boats and cages to help relocate animals. Every life is worth saving!”
