Thai Rescue Worker Revives Baby Elephant After Motorcycle Crash
A remarkable rescue in Thailand captured worldwide attention after an off-duty rescue worker performed resuscitation attempts on a baby elephant struck by a motorcycle.
On December 20, 2020, a baby elephant was crossing a road with a herd of wild elephants in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand, when it was hit by a motorcycle.
The calf was left lying on the road while rescuers attended to the scene. The motorcycle rider was also injured, and another rescue team was helping the rider nearby when an off-duty rescuer stepped in to help the elephant.
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| (Cover image: AI-generated wildlife illustration created for editorial and educational purposes.) |
Quick Answer: On December 20, 2020, an off-duty Thai rescue worker named Mana Srivate performed resuscitation attempts on a baby elephant that had been struck by a motorcycle in Chanthaburi province. After about 10 minutes, the calf began moving and eventually stood. It was later returned to the accident site, where its mother and herd came back after hearing its calls.
The incident was reported by Reuters and republished by major international news organizations. The widely shared photographs showed Mana performing chest compressions on the young elephant as other rescuers treated the motorcycle rider.
FAST FACTS
- Date: December 20, 2020
- Location: Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand
- Rescuer: Mana Srivate
- Animal: A wild elephant calf
- Resuscitation attempt: About 10 minutes
- Outcome: The calf began moving, stood, received further treatment, and was later reunited with its mother and herd.
An Off-Duty Rescuer Steps In
The rescuer, Mana Srivate, had spent 26 years working as a rescue worker and had performed numerous resuscitation attempts on people. However, he had never attempted to revive an elephant before.
Mana was off duty and traveling when he came across the accident. While his colleagues helped the injured motorcycle rider, he began trying to revive the elephant calf.
Video and photographs from the scene showed Mana using both hands to perform compressions on the young elephant as it lay on its side.
He Had Never Performed Resuscitation on an Elephant
The situation was unfamiliar even for an experienced rescuer. Mana later said he was not certain where an elephant's heart was located.
According to his account, he estimated the heart's position using what he knew about human anatomy and a video he had previously seen online.
The situation was also stressful because Mana could hear the calf's mother and other elephants calling nearby. He was concerned about what might happen if the herd approached while the rescue was underway.
Elephants are not simply large versions of humans, so emergency treatment designed for people cannot automatically be transferred to them. Mana's intervention was an unusual emergency response carried out in a specific situation, rather than evidence that standard human CPR procedures should generally be used on elephants.
After About 10 Minutes, the Calf Began Moving
After approximately 10 minutes of resuscitation efforts, the baby elephant began moving.
The calf eventually managed to stand, a development that indicated it had regained enough strength to continue receiving care.
Mana later described the moment as highly emotional. The sight of the calf beginning to move gave him reason to believe that the rescue effort had worked.
The elephant was subsequently taken to another location for additional treatment before being returned to the accident area.
The Mother Came Back for Her Calf
Once the calf had received further treatment, rescuers returned it to the area where the accident had occurred in the hope that its family would return.
According to Mana's account, the mother and other elephants eventually came back after hearing the calf's calls.
The reunion was the final stage of an extraordinary rescue that had begun only minutes earlier with the young elephant lying motionless after the collision.
The Motorcycle Rider Also Survived
The accident involved both the elephant calf and a motorcycle rider.
While Mana worked with the elephant, his colleagues treated the rider. Contemporary reports said that both the rider and the calf were recovering and that neither suffered serious injuries.
A Rare Rescue Story
Mana had already dealt with dozens of road accidents involving people during his career, but he said the elephant was the only victim he had successfully revived through his resuscitation efforts at that point.
That made the incident unusual not only because of the animal involved, but also because the rescuer had to respond to a medical emergency involving a species he had never treated before.
The story also demonstrated how wildlife and human activity can intersect in areas where wild elephants cross roads.
Why the Story Became So Widely Shared
Photographs of Mana performing compressions on the baby elephant quickly spread online after the rescue.
The scene was striking: a trained human rescuer kneeling beside a young wild elephant in the middle of a road while other rescue workers treated the person involved in the same accident.
International news organizations subsequently reported the incident, helping the story reach audiences far beyond Thailand.
Is the Viral Baby Elephant CPR Story Legit?
Yes. The underlying incident is verified.
The rescue was reported by Reuters on December 21–22, 2020, and was subsequently published by international news organizations including The Guardian. The original Reuters report states that Mana performed resuscitation attempts on the calf after it was struck by a motorcycle in Chanthaburi province.
The report also states that the calf stood after about 10 minutes, was taken elsewhere for treatment, and was later returned to the accident site. The elephants subsequently returned after the mother heard the calf calling.
What should be avoided, however, is interpreting the incident as proof that standard human CPR is normally appropriate for elephants. The reports document what happened during this particular emergency; they do not establish a general veterinary protocol.
What This Rescue Tells Us About Wildlife Emergencies
Wild animals injured on roads can face extremely difficult circumstances. A collision can separate a young animal from its family, while the presence of frightened adult animals can make rescue operations dangerous.
In this case, the rescue involved several people working at the same scene: some assisting the injured rider while Mana concentrated on the elephant calf.
The successful reunion with the herd gave the remarkable story a positive outcome, but it also highlights the risks wild animals face when their movements intersect with roads and human transportation.
A Remarkable Second Chance
The baby elephant's story began with a dangerous collision and an apparently motionless calf lying on a road.
It ended with the young elephant moving again, receiving additional treatment, and eventually being reunited with its mother and herd.
For Mana Srivate, the rescue was unlike anything he had experienced during his decades as a rescue worker. For the calf, those few minutes of emergency intervention became a second chance at returning to its family.
The incident remains one of the most unusual documented animal rescue stories to emerge from Thailand—and a striking example of how human emergency responders can sometimes find themselves helping wildlife in unexpected circumstances.
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Sources and Further Reading
Status: Verified from contemporary Reuters reporting and subsequent reports by established news organizations.
Verified details: The accident occurred in Chanthaburi province on December 20, 2020; Mana Srivate was off duty when he became involved; the calf had been struck by a motorcycle; Mana performed two-handed compressions; the calf began moving after approximately 10 minutes; it was taken for further treatment and later returned to the accident area; and the mother and herd returned after hearing the calf's calls.
Editorial clarification: The article describes the reported intervention as resuscitation/CPR but does not present human CPR as a standard veterinary treatment for elephants.
The Pader presents wildlife and science information using credible sources and accessible language. Scientific information may be updated as new research emerges.