PHOTOS: Happy Ending After Dramatic Rescue of Elephant Mom & Baby That Fell Into Manhole

By Karissa Lund  •  in JUICE ♥
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(source: The Guardian)

Veterinarians and park staff recently pulled off a dramatic rescue of a pair of elephants in Thailand that involved the use of a boom lift, a digger and the resuscitation of an unconscious mother by three people.

According to Malay Mail, the duo is believed to belong to an elephant herd travelling through the nearby jungle in Nakhon Nayok province. However, the 1-year-old elephant fell into a roadside drainage hole and its distressed mother, stayed with the infant as it was unable to climb out of the steep pit.

Fortunately, the pair were discovered by a passing resident as it was nearby a golfing area. The witnesses quickly alerted wildlife officials and Khao Yai National Park authorities to the elephant’s plight.

(source: CBS News)

Would-be rescuers were initially unable to help the baby elephant due to the presence of its mother and were forced to tranquilise the older creature.

Unfortunately, the mother elephant then tumbled into the hole too shortly after it was sedated.

Rescuers then used a truck-mounted boom lift to pull the mother out before climbing on top of her to perform simultaneous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a digger cleared away earth so the anxious calf could climb out from the slippery mud.

Video posted on the department’s website showed the baby elephant struggling on the bottom of the manhole before finally being pulled out in the heavy rain.

The calf was eventually rescued from the pit and reunited with its mother, with park authorities confirming the pair had safely returned to the jungle.

Take a look at some photos of the dramatic rescue: 

(source: The Guardian)
(source: The Guardian)
(source: The Guardian)
(source: CBS News)

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