Baby elephants are wearing hand-knitted coats in South-east Asia after cold snap plunges temperatures to freezing

Volunteers from the Blankets for Baby Rhinos charity embroider the ‘beautiful’ garments

The vulnerable animals have been left shivering after cold air swept down from China (Save Elephant Foundation)

Baby elephants in South-east Asia have been forced to wear colourful hand-knitted coats to keep warm, after a gush of cold air swept down from China and plunged temperatures to as low as 0C.

Creatures in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia – countries known for their tropical climates – have been wearing woollen garments, which were created by volunteers from the Blankets for Baby Rhinos charity.

Save Elephant Foundation is handing out the multi-coloured coats at sanctuaries in both Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar.

“A cold front came down from China this week affecting many places throughout South-east Asia. Many countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are experiencing temperatures that rarely occur here,” its director Lek Chailert said.

“On the mountain top of Thailand it is below zero. We are doing our best to keep all of our animals warm, with fires being kept through the night.”

She said that animals at the Wingabaw elephant camp in Myanmar had particularly suffered when the weather turned.

“We provide straw and bring cosy jackets to help keep them warm,” she added.

It has also shipped the coats to sister sanctuaries around the region.

The coats were shipped to the charity by Sue Brown and Ruthie Cassidy from Blankets for Baby Rhinos, a wildlife conservation craft group. It was set up to help animals rescued from captivity.

“Sue’s husband is a pilot who flew the parcel to us from the United Arab Emirates to Bangkok,” said Ms Chailert. “We are so appreciative of this beautiful kindness."

A British co-founder of Blankets for Baby Rhinos said it researched animal charities around the world before deciding to help them and was "very happy" with Save Elephant Foundation's work.

Elisa Best said the group, which is actively fundraising, started out a year ago supporting rhino orphanages and anti-poaching units within South Africa.

She revealed: "We have branched into supplying wildlife orphanages and sanctuaries worldwide as you can see by our donation to the elephants in Thailand."

The elephant coat campaign came after a similar one in India earlier this year when local women knitted jumpers for formerly abused animals.

Women in a village near the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in the northern city of Mathura made the garments when temperatures dipped close to freezing point.

The animals were rescued from illegal captivity after being poached by trafficking mafia.