Six elephants participated in rescue drills as Thailand braces for the rainy monsoon season.

Footage shows the jumbos wading through a river to simulate flash floods in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on May 22.

The exercises took place in Mae Taeng, a high-risk area that sees perennial flooding. A major deluge last year caused devastating damage to the local community and killed several elephants living there.

The flood drills were led by Phra Kru Odd, a monk and elephant conservationist who said he aimed to employ retired or unwanted elephants as lifesaving responders.

The pachyderms were trained to reach inaccessible areas, evacuate residents, clear debris, and transport supplies during disasters.

Thailand has an estimated 4,000 elephants in captivity. They are put to work in the logging industry, at tourism resorts or kept privately for use at religious events and rituals.

A number of rescued elephants also live in sanctuaries, where they can wander through enclosed land.

However, there is ongoing debate about the treatment of all captive elephants, with organisations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) calling for their release.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are at the start of their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms. The rudimentary infrastructure often struggles with the deluge, leading to widespread flash floods.