Elephants were given mountain rescue training to help stranded hikers in Thailand.

Three jumbos - Plai Saen Thap, Plai Valentine, and Plai Ngam - from the Saen Family Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai province underwent joint rescue simulations on November 25.

Footage shows the pachyderms and their mahouts pretending to transport an injured individual across the treacherous terrain of a remote forest in the province.

One elephant was tasked to clear the way, while the second would carry the casualty on its back. The third would carry medical equipment and other injured hikers.

Authorities said the male trio were chosen for the first batch of training as they had experience hauling logs and navigating forests.

The initiative is a collaboration among the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, local rescue teams, the Saen Family Elephant Sanctuary, and the Social Sciences Faculty of the Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus.

Sanctuary staff said it was the second training held for their elephants. In August, the jumbos also underwent water rescue training and successfully saved tourists in the Mae Taeng district during a flash flood in early October.

Thailand has around 4,000 elephants in captivity. They are kept at tourist attractions, and sanctuaries or detained privately so they can be hired out for antiquated religious customs.