Thai rangers free six trapped baby elephants

Six baby elephants have been rescued by rangers after becoming trapped in a mud pit at a national park in north-eastern Thailand.

Source: Department of Natural Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation

Rangers at a national park in north-eastern Thailand have rescued six baby elephants that were trapped in a mud pit.

Park officials said the elephants were unable to climb up the pit's slippery banks. Rescuers took five hours on Thursday to dig a path for them to clamber out.

Source: Department of Natural Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation

A video taken by rangers at Thap Lan National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima province shows the baby elephants climbing one by one from the muddy ditch.

The head of the park, Prawatsart Chantep, said rangers patrolling the park's forest areas found the animals stuck in the pit on Wednesday afternoon and at nightfall, one group of rangers left to get help while another group remained with the elephants.

Source: Department of Natural Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation

Prawatsart said there were signs that a herd of elephants believed to be related to the trapped infants was circling the area.

It was unclear how the elephants became trapped.

Source: Department of Natural Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation