Two elephants have been found dead after severe flooding hit Chiang Mai on Saturday when the Ping River overflowed its banks and flooded the world-famous Elephant Nature Park. The raging floodwaters washed away two female elephants.
Saengduean ” Lek ” Chailert, the park’s founder, told reporters the two elephants were discovered dead near the Sibsan resort in Mae Taeng district. She described Friday’s flooding as “a day of darkness and gloom” for the Elephant Conservation Park.
When the elephant park received a flood warning on Thursday, personnel relocated elephants to higher ground until Friday night. However, the flood levels continued to rise, covering progressively higher elevations until the entire elephant sanctuary was completely flooded.
Our elephants are not tethered and live in fenced areas. Floodwaters have risen to over 3 meters, nearly touching the roofs of some animal shelters. During the extreme flooding, several cows and buffaloes disappeared from the park. The compound’s cats and dogs are safe, but no cages exist.
She thanked the Army, volunteers, government institutions, and other elephant camps that sent mahouts to help control and transport scared elephants in the park to safety.
She also requested assistance evacuating 23 blind and elderly horses from the flooded park and donating old clothes and blankets for thousands of dogs and cats that lost everything inside their enclosures due to the floodwaters.
Meanwhile, around midday on Saturday, the water level at Chiang Mai’s Nawarat Bridge reached 5.30 meters, breaking 50-year-old records.
According to data from the Royal Irrigation Department, the reservoir of Chiang Mai’s Mae Nghat Dam was 113% full on Saturday.
On Saturday, flooding reached up to one meter deep in many regions. Chiang Mai’s key business zones were severely impacted again just as they were beginning to recover from an earlier massive deluge on September 26.
An important business center on Chang Khan Road and the Night Bazaar was under one meter of floodwater, forcing many establishments to close. Rising floodwaters have prompted authorities to move tourists to safer regions. However, many hotels remain open and accommodate guests who have chosen to stay.
Chiang Mai International Airport continues to operate normally, although passengers are encouraged to plan for an additional two to three hours of travel time to accommodate potential delays.
