Thai elephant steps on land mine in Myanmar
By Associated Press
Sep 13, 2011 9:15 AM CDT
Pa Hae Po, a wounded 22-year-old male elephant holds a pole with trunk to support its balance while being treated at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang province, northern Thailand Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. The elephant received an injury on the front left foot when it stepped on a landmine on Sunday while...   (Associated Press)

Thai veterinarians say a 22-year-old elephant was wounded when he wandered into neighboring Myanmar and stepped on a land mine.

Soraida Salwala of the Friends of the Asian Elephant conservation group in northern Thailand says the pachyderm's left foot was severely hurt in Sunday's blast in Myanmar's Kayin state.

Salwala said Tuesday that the elephant named Pa Hae Po was taken by truck to the group's hospital in the Thai city of Lampang and is expected to recover.

The elephant is the 14th such injury to be treated at the hospital since it began operating in 1993. He joins three other land mine victims that remain hospitalized at the facility.

Rights groups say both the Myanmar army and rebels have laid mines during decades of conflict.

See 1 more photo