Flash Floods Threaten Elephant Sanctuary in Northern Thailand, Dozens Trapped

A popular elephant sanctuary in northern Thailand was ravaged by flash floods on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 100 elephants and trapping dozens of tourists, prompting urgent calls for help, CNN reports.

The Elephant Nature Park, located near Chiang Mai, witnessed dramatic scenes as elephants waded through chest-deep water, searching for safety on higher ground. Saengduean “Lek” Chailert, the founder of Elephant Nature Park, called the floods the most severe the park has ever experienced.

Video footage captured park staff, known as mahouts, urging the massive animals to safety, shouting “Go go, keep going” as they guided the elephants through the floodwaters. While many elephants found refuge on a nearby mountain overnight, the danger remained far from over.

“Thirteen adult elephants are still trapped in their quarters. They are panicking,” said Saengduean.

The flooding follows torrential rains brought by Typhoon Yagi, Asia’s most powerful storm this year, which left dozens dead in its wake. Authorities in Chiang Mai, a popular tourist destination, have issued flood alerts as water levels along the Ping River reach dangerous levels.

With floodwaters continuing to rise, the sanctuary faces the daunting prospect of a second evacuation. The priority now is to secure boats so mahouts can stay with the remaining elephants to keep them calm.

Adding to the crisis, 30 foreign volunteers are trapped at the sanctuary, including five Americans, some of whom have been working at the park for weeks.

The Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation center, has sheltered over 200 elephants since its inception in the 1990s. Many of the rescued elephants have physical injuries or are blind, making their evacuation particularly challenging.

The park is also home to 5,000 other rescued animals, including dogs, cats, horses, pigs and rabbits, some of whom were evacuated in recent days.

Authorities have dispatched rescue teams, but flooded roads have hampered their efforts.

The wild elephant population has drastically declined in recent decades due to threats from tourism, logging, poaching, and habitat encroachment. Experts estimate the wild elephant population has dwindled to 3,000-4,000, a stark decline from the over 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.