Thai elephant steps on landmine in Burma

Thai veterinarians say a 22-year-old elephant was wounded when he wandered into neighbouring Burma and stepped on a landmine.

Soraida Salwala of the Friends of the Asian Elephant conservation group in northern Thailand says the pachyderm's left foot was severely hurt in Sunday's blast in Burma's Kayin state.


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Salwala said that the elephant named Pa Hae Po was taken by truck to the group's hospital in the Thai city of Lampang and is expected to recover.

The elephant is the 14th such injury to be treated at the hospital since it began operating in 1993. He joins three other landmine victims that remain hospitalised at the facility. Rights groups say both the Burma army and rebels have laid mines during decades of conflict.