Elephants escape flash floods in Thailand

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

BANGKOK — 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."

Elephants wading through floodwaters at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Save Elephant FoundationThe 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."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/elephants-escape-flash-floods-thailand-rcna173993

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