Two elephants have been found dead after severe flooding hit Chiang Mai on Saturday, after the Ping River overflowed its banks and flooded the world-famous Elephant Nature Park. Two female elephants were washed away by raging floodwaters.
The two elephants were discovered dead near the Sibsan resort in Mae Taeng district, the park’s founder, Saengduean “Lek” Chailert, told reporters.She described Friday’s flooding as “a day of darkness and gloom” for the Elephant Conservation Park.
She said when the elephant park received a flood warning on Thursday, personnel began relocating elephants to higher ground, which continued 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 of the animal shelters. She said during the extreme flooding, several cows and buffaloes disappeared from the park. She stated all of the cats and dogs on the compound were safe, but there were no cages for them.
She thanked the Army, volunteers, and government institutions and the other elephant camps that sent mahouts to help control and transport scared elephants in the park to safety.
She also requested assistance in evacuating 23 blind and elderly horses from the flooded park, as well as contributions of old clothes and blankets for thousands of dogs and cats that had lost everything inside their enclosures due to the floodwaters.
Mahouts Rescue Elephant caught in Flood water
Meanwhile, around midday on Saturday, the water level at Chiang Mai’s Nawarat Bridge reached 5.30 metres, smashing 50-year-old records.
The reservoir of Chiang Mai’s Mae Nghat Dam was 113% full on Saturday, according to data from the Royal Irrigation Department.
On Saturday, flooding were up to one metre deep in many regions. Chiang Mai’s key business zones were severely impacted once again, just as they were beginning to recover from an earlier massive deluge on September 26.
A important business center on Chang Khan Road and the Night Bazaar were under one metre of floodwater, forcing many establishments to close.
Rising floodwaters have prompted authorities to move tourists to safer regions. However, numerous hotels remain open and are accommodating guests who have elected 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.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
