Regional News
One Year Old Baby Elephant Rescued After Being Trapped in a Well in Central Thailand
The backhoe dug the side of the well wall to make a slope so that baby elephant could be pulled out. – Photo Thai PBS
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CHANTHABURI – A baby Asian elephant was rescued from a well in a rubber plantation in Kaeng Hang Maeo district of Chanthaburi province before dawn today with the assistance of a backhoe, forest rangers and local villagers.
The one-year old baby elephant was among a herd of about 40 wild elephants which arrived at the rubber plantation at about 2 am apparently in search of food. However, it accidentally fell into the 3-metre deep well and could not get out.
Villagers who were awaken by the arrival of the elephant herd said the mother elephant tried to help her baby, but she got entangled with electric wire and was struck by a strong electric shock that she collapsed next to the well.
Some of the villagers who saw the incident immediately cut off the electricity supply to save the mother elephant.
The baby elephant eventually joined the herd back to the jungle.
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Forest rangers who arrived at the scene after being alerted of the incident tried to move the mother elephant away from the well as a backhoe was rushed to the plantation.
The backhoe dug the kerb of the well to make a slope so that baby elephant could be pulled out. After about 30 minutes of digging, the animal was successfully pulled out and it eventually joined the herd back to the jungle.
During the rescue operation, the elephant herd was circling nearby waiting for the poor baby elephant to return to the mother elephant.
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