The animal’s one-year-old calf had slipped into a concrete drain on a golf course during monsoon rains in central Nakhon Nayok province. His 10-year-old mother stood guard over her calf, but when wildlife volunteers tranquilized the older elephant, she hit her head on the edge of the concrete structure, knocking her unconscious and falling in as well. A cherry picking crane was mounted on a truck to pull the mother out before vets climbed on top of her to perform CPR. Meanwhile, an excavator cleared the earth so the calf could climb out of the 7-foot-deep hole. It took the team more than three hours to complete the operation. Khao Yai National Park Department veterinarian Dr Chananya Kanchanasarak said: “It was impossible to get close to the baby while the mother was around, so we gave her three doses of tranquilizers, but she went towards her baby before passing out and hitting her head.” Image: An excavator cleared the earth so the calf could climb out of the 7-foot-deep hole Dr Chananya said the mother “regained consciousness after being stimulated by both me and the baby”. Shortly after the pair were pulled from the drain, the calf began nursing its mother. Dr Chananya added: “Despite the obstacles, the mother did not leave her baby’s side. “This experience touched our hearts and will be one of the most memorable rescues we have done.”
