Wildlife

Elephants Rescued from Mud-Filled Bomb Crater

A rescue in Cambodia saved 11 Asian elephants from a muddy death after they fell into an old bomb crater.

The herd — three adult females and eight juveniles — was discovered in the large crater in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary on March 24, covered in mud and unable to escape, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Local farmers notified the Cambodian Department of Environment, which called in the WCS to save the unfortunate pachyderms.

After building a ramp, the elephants could be seen pushing each other up the slippery ramp with their heads and trunks. The last elephant remaining in the crater, with no herd members to push it out, got a little help from people at the scene, who pulled the animal out with ropes. The elephants, which had been trapped for days, were freed within a few hours.