Cambodia rescues 11 endangered elephants trapped in muddy bomb crater

Cambodian villagers on Saturday rescued a herd of 11 endangered Asian elephants out of a muddy bomb crater, where they were trapped when they got down to drink water, an environment official said.

The elephants, including three young, were trapped in a 3-meter-deep bomb crater inside the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Mondolkiri Province on Friday, and villagers reported to the conservationists about the incident, said Keo Sopheak, director of the Environment Department in Mondolkiri province.

"We saved them out of the war-left bomb crater on Saturday afternoon," he told Xinhua. "We dug away at the side of the crater, and created a path to enable the wild elephants to climb free."

He said no elephant got injured in the incident, and they all were released into the jungle.

"They could die of drowning or starvation if we had not saved them on time," he said.

Cambodia is home to over 500 wild elephants, according to the Forestry Administration.

On Tuesday, a male-elephant, weighing more than 2 tons, died after an electrical pole collapsed and electrocuted the mammal in a jungle in southwestern Preah Sihanouk province.

In July last year, a young male-Asian elephant also died in Mondolkiri province after sustaining a severe foot wound caused by a snare trap.

source: Xinhua