CHIANG MAI, Thailand – As the Ping River overflowed and flooded parts of Chiang Mai for the third consecutive day, the water levels have slowly started to recede. However, many areas remain submerged, with the situation still classified as critical.
On September 28, the Facebook page “Chiang Mai You’ve Never Seen” posted a series of images showing rescue workers evacuating two lions during the ongoing floods in Saraphi District, Chiang Mai. The rescue operation was led by the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, which tranquilized the lions before transporting them to a safari for safety.
According to the page, the lions were rescued from a business owned by a foreign national on September 27. The rescue mission has garnered significant attention online, with netizens humorously commenting on the situation. Comments such as, “Will the lions eat us if they wake up?” and “Who’s the real victim here—the lions or the rescuers?” reflect both the tension and humor surrounding the delicate operation.
Despite the challenges, the mission successfully ensured the lions’ safety, making it one of the more unusual rescue efforts in Chiang Mai’s current flood crisis.