An animal medical rescue team yesterday succeeded in hauling a partially-lame Thai elephant out of a mud hole in which he was stuck, but the five-tonne beast was unable to stand up or be moved further.
The elephant (above) had been lying on its side since getting stuck in the mud last week inside the massive Khao Ang Rue-Ni wildlife sanctuary, which sprawls over parts of five p rovinces in eastern Thailand.
Its left hind leg had become stuck in mud, and it was unable to lift itself out because of a previous injury to its right rear leg that had left it partly lame.
Teeraporn Maneeon, a veterinarian from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants said the elephant "was lying down for a long time, and his leg has gone numb, and from blood tests, we found that his muscles also have problems."
"When his body is ready, there is a chance he will stand again."
