Flash floods sweep through Thailand elephant conservation park, volunteers struggle to evacuate animals to higher ground

A popular Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand is calling for urgent help to evacuate more than 100 elephants and other animals to higher ground as flash floods swept through the region.

Northern Thailand has suffered severe flooding and landslides in recent weeks due to torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi in mid-September.

Efforts were underway to locate animals trapped in rising waters and fast flood currents, The Bangkok Post reported.

Two elephants dead

Elephant Nature Park, an elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre, is home to 126 elephants.

Many of the elephants are blind or have physical injuries, which have hindered their ability to escape and complicated evacuation efforts.

On Oct. 3, 117 out of 126 elephants were evacuated.

However, flash floods which submerged Kued Chang village caused 30 elephants to go missing the next day, Khaosod reported.

Two elephants were found dead in the Mae Taeng district.

Phang Fah Sai, a 16-year-old female elephant, was found dead near the Sibsan resort on Oct. 5 morning.

The other dead pachyderm was identified as Phloy Thong, a blind female elephant aged 40.

Conservationist and founder of the park Saengduean "Lek" Chailert purportedly burst into tears upon seeing the lifeless elephants.

She hugged the animals, tears streaming down her face.

"It was a dark and tragic day for us," Saengduean wrote on Facebook.

"The scenes I saw when we reached the area by rescue boat will haunt my mind. I will never forget."

Her post was followed by a clip of an elephant submerged eye-level in muddy water.

Floodwaters engulfed the camp

Staff of the park had received flood warnings on Thursday.

They started evacuating elephants and other animals onto higher ground from Thursday into Friday night.

However, flood waters soon engulfed the park.

Roads to the park have been cut off by floodwater and landslides, The Bangkok Post reported.

Electricity and telephone signals have also been cut off from the park.

The park posted a message on Facebook on Oct. 4, appealing for help to evacuate the animals to higher ground.

"Our elephants are not chained, but stay in fenced enclosures," Saengduean wrote.

Some elephants managed to break the fences down.

Many of them are still missing, including 10 male elephants who are known to be aggressive, Khaosod reported.

"Floodwater has risen to over three metres and exceeds the fences of the animals’ shelters, almost reaching the roofs," she added.

Other animals like cows and buffaloes also went missing amidst the floodwaters. The cats and dogs in the compound have been brought to safety.

The conservationist expressed her gratitude to rescue workers, volunteers and government agencies, who came to help the park and evacuate the elephant.

"It was the biggest evacuation we have ever done to save their lives, the water rose rapidly," she told CNN.

“Among the evacuated animals, there are many sick elephants, some barely walk. We had to help them to get to the foot of the mountain. We are in desperate need of help,” Saengduean said.

Flooding in Chiang Mai

Water from the Ping River, which passes through Chiang Mai, rose to a record of more than five metres at the Nawarat Bridge on Oct. 5.

The Mae Nghat Dam, a dam in the Mae Taeng District, was also reported to have reached 113 per cent of its storage capacity, according to the Royal Irrigation Department.

More than 30,000 families are affected by flooding, The Bangkok Post reported.

A total of 49 people were killed and 28 were reported injured from Aug. 16 to Oct. 6.

Top photo via Saengduean Chailert/Facebook