The Vietnam War pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong engaging in a prolonged conflict, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States ended in 1975, but even today, the aftermath of that decades long conflict are still having ramifications.
The Vietnam War pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong engaging in a prolonged conflict, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States ended in 1975, but even today, the aftermath of that decade's long conflict is still having ramifications. 50 years ago a bomb detonated and while there are no historical records of any casualties when it was deployed, we do know that today the results of that blast nearly claimed the lives of 11 elephants. |
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When the bomb exploded it left behind a sizable crater laying testament to its destructive power, sometime after the war ended local farmers ironically used the aftermath left behind by a weapon designed to take life and used the caldera from the bomb's blast to help living beings.
The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia widened that depression and created a watering hole for the local wildlife. Naturally, elephants used this water source to drink and bathe, but this week something went wrong.
The herd faced certain death when they got stuck inside the muddy crater and were unable to free themselves. Totaling 11 elephants in all, this small herd consisted of three adult females and eight juveniles of various ages and included a male that had almost reached maturity.
When the farmers realized the elephants were trapped in the depression, they notified the Department of Environment, who in turn notified WCS who were able to mobilize a rescue operation to save these majestic animals.
"These elephants represent an important part of the breeding population in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, and their loss would have been a major blow to conservation." said Tan Setha, a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) technical advisor to the protected area.
Using shovels the rescue team lessened the slope of the crater, after lying vegetation on the newly formed ramp the elephants now had a firmer grip to pull their girth weight out of the thick mud.
One by One the traumatized elephants pulled themselves free and quickly ran toward the safety and comfort of the surrounding thick brush, but that rescuers moment of pride quickly vanished when they saw the last elephant still needed help.
After struggling in the thick mud for hours the rescuers knew the baby just didn't have the strength to pull itself free. Placing more vegetation down and using ropes they provided the calf with enough help to pull itself free.
Everyone pulled together to avoid a tragedy, said Tan Setha, a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) technical advisor to the protected area.
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The Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia widened that depression and created a watering hole for the local wildlife. Naturally, elephants used this water source to drink and bathe, but this week something went wrong.
The herd faced certain death when they got stuck inside the muddy crater and were unable to free themselves. Totaling 11 elephants in all, this small herd consisted of three adult females and eight juveniles of various ages and included a male that had almost reached maturity.
When the farmers realized the elephants were trapped in the depression, they notified the Department of Environment, who in turn notified WCS who were able to mobilize a rescue operation to save these majestic animals.
"These elephants represent an important part of the breeding population in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, and their loss would have been a major blow to conservation." said Tan Setha, a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) technical advisor to the protected area.
Using shovels the rescue team lessened the slope of the crater, after lying vegetation on the newly formed ramp the elephants now had a firmer grip to pull their girth weight out of the thick mud.
One by One the traumatized elephants pulled themselves free and quickly ran toward the safety and comfort of the surrounding thick brush, but that rescuers moment of pride quickly vanished when they saw the last elephant still needed help.
After struggling in the thick mud for hours the rescuers knew the baby just didn't have the strength to pull itself free. Placing more vegetation down and using ropes they provided the calf with enough help to pull itself free.
Everyone pulled together to avoid a tragedy, said Tan Setha, a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) technical advisor to the protected area.
If You Liked Our Story Please Take A Moment To Share It, Thanks!