Thailand Introduces Groundbreaking Mountain Rescue Training for Elephants

[Georgealbert]

 

 

In a first for Thailand, elephants from the renowned “Saen Family” are being trained in mountain rescue operations to assist in disaster relief efforts in remote and inaccessible areas. The innovative training program aims to prepare elephants for challenging scenarios where traditional medical and rescue teams cannot easily reach.

 

The training involves three elephants from the Saen Family Elephant Sanctuary in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai: Plai Saen Thap, Plai Valentine, and Plai Ngam. These highly skilled elephants, known for their strength and prior experience in timber hauling, are now being equipped with unique rescue skills.

 

This collaboration is led by Isara Thailand, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, and the mahouts at the Saen Family Sanctuary, under the guidance of Phra Khru Sangkarak Weerawat Veerawatthano (Ajarn Odd) of Wat Chedi Luang, who supports the sanctuary.

 

This new “Mountain Rescue” course follows Thailand’s earlier success in pioneering water rescue training for elephants. According to Nan Chaiyachet Phadsee, President of Isara Thailand, the mountain rescue program is designed to address emergencies such as forest accidents or cases of hikers getting lost in the wilderness. When fallen trees or debris block rescue routes, elephants can step in to clear paths and evacuate victims.

 

The program requires a minimum of three elephants to work as a team:

 

1. Path-Clearing Elephant: Opens routes and removes obstacles.

2. Evacuation Elephant: Carries injured individuals on its back.

3. Support Elephant: Transports additional victims or carries emergency medical supplies.

 

Initial training sessions have shown that elephants adapt well, displaying calmness and cooperation throughout the process. The elephants’ natural strength, combined with their ability to navigate rugged terrain, makes them an ideal resource for rescue operations in areas where modern vehicles or helicopters cannot operate.

 

Ajarn Odd personally selected Plai Saen Thap, Plai Valentine, and Plai Ngam for their physical capabilities and prior work experience. Their training marks a groundbreaking effort to integrate elephants into mountain rescue, combining the expertise of wildlife rescue trainers and local mahouts.

 

Chiang Mai, a hub for eco-tourism, often attracts nature enthusiasts who explore its forests and mountains. With an increasing number of accidents in remote areas, the trained elephants from the Saen Family will provide a crucial first-response option, potentially saving lives before victims are transported to emergency medical services.

 

Picture courtesy of the elephant sanctuary.

-- 2024-11-26

 

 

[steven100]

oh dear Georgealbert,   I don't feel sad about this news,   this is good news,  it'll put the animals to good use instead of being leg chained all day, eating grass and swaying side to side. 

 

Hopefully no rescue will be needed but you never know and they will have the tools to do the job. 

[PJUK88]

How long before some one posts this is cruel.

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

elephants ..................... are being trained in mountain rescue operations

 

Lead by a man named "Hannibal"?

 

[ronster]

If you are needing rescued from a hill then you probably have had something serious happen to you .

This usually involves quick response to locate and extract the person and get them medical attention asap at a hospital.

Unfortunately the speed of the elephants doing everything they are suggesting as well as time needed to transport them to the location would make this system non viable.

[Georgealbert]

23 minutes ago, ronster said:

If you are needing rescued from a hill then you probably have had something serious happen to you .

This usually involves quick response to locate and extract the person and get them medical attention asap at a hospital.

Unfortunately the speed of the elephants doing everything they are suggesting as well as time needed to transport them to the location would make this system non viable.

Sorry I believe that is totally wrong. The conditions where the elephants are being trained to be used, will be where vehicle access is not possible and helicopter access will depend on availably, limited landing sites due to tree canopies, lack of long line operations capability and prevailing weather conditions.

 

When under these conditions, rescuers will have to access the incident site on foot and carry all rescue equipment and medical equipment with them , hence needing a lot more rescuers to cope with the workload.
 

Carrying even  a 70kg casualty on a stretcher any distance on uneven steep terrain in wet under foot conditions is a difficult challenge.

 

Yes there is the logistics problems of getting an elephant to the scene, when it is outside their normal area, so deployment will be limited, but when vehicle/helicopter access is not available, elephants could prove to be an asset and would in certain conditions, speed up the rescue response.