Vets raced to rescue two baby elephants trapped in snares in a forest in Thailand.

The Department of Conservation Area 2 Sriracha dispatched a medical team to rescue the calves with injuries to their trunks in Chanthaburi province on December 1.

The rescue team were divided into separate units tasked to tranquilise the elephants, remove the snares, and keep the rest of the herd at a safe distance.

The first calf was safely put to sleep and given painkillers and antibiotics. When it regained consciousness, it rejoined the herd in the forest.

The second was lured away from the group with fruits. After it was sedated, it ran off into the woods where vets administered medicine and removed the snare around its trunk. They said the trap had punctured the elephant's flesh, but the injury was already starting to heal. The calf was given medicine before being released.

Footage shows the baby elephants tucking into fruits after being treated.

Kongkiat Temtumnan, Director of Conservation Area 2, said: 'The injured elephants were first spotted on Sunday, December 1, in the forest around Kaeng Hang Maew district. One elephant had a snare wound on the middle of its trunk, while the other was injured near the trunk's tip. Both calves remain with their herd of approximately 40 wild elephants.'

Snares in Thailand are commonly used by poachers to catch animals such as tigers, elephants, or pangolins in the country's dense forests. These traps, often made from simple materials like wires or ropes, are indiscriminate and can severely injure or kill protected wildlife.

As of 2023, there are an estimated 3,084-3,500 wild elephants in Thailand. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.