A baby elephant injured by falling into a trap in Chanthaburi has been rescued.
The animal was spotted in the trap by villagers in Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park in Kaeng Hang Maeo district before rescuers and veterinarians from the Protected Areas Regional Office 2 moved in to save its life.
Ruamsilp Manajongprasert, director of the office, said he mobilised park officers and rescuers to help the male elephant, aged around three months, which had been rope-tied inside the trap.
The elephant was moved to a park ranger station to receive treatment from veterinarians and have the rope disentangled from its body.
Wounds from thorns in the trap led staff to decide to keep the animal on the premises for a day to receive extra care before being released back into the wild.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation posted on its social media account that snare traps made with simple tools pose a deadly threat to wildlife, particularly as animals struggling to break free often ended up tightening the contraptions and wounding themselves further.
The department has deployed officers nationwide to monitor and curtail the use of these life-threatening traps which are commonly found in conservation areas.
