Have You Seen This? Hungry wild elephant raids grocery retailer for snacks

[ad_1] BANGKOK — A hungry wild elephant induced havoc in a grocery retailer in Thailand on Monday when he strolled in from a close-by nationwide park and helped himself to meals on the cabinets.

Videos of the incident confirmed the massive male elephant, referred to as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in entrance of the store, situated subsequent to a principal street close to the Khao Yai Nationwide Park in northeastern Thailand, earlier than ducking his complete physique inside.

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The elephant stopped in entrance of the store's counter, calmly snatching and chomping snacks, and didn't flinch because the nationwide park staff tried to shoo him away.

The elephant later backed out of the store nonetheless holding a bag of snacks together with his trunk. He left little harm behind, besides mud tracks on the ground and the ceiling of the store.

In a video posted on social media, Kamploy Kakaew, the store proprietor, appeared amused as she described the second the elephant rifled her store. She stated he ate about 9 luggage of candy rice crackers, a sandwich and a few dried bananas she had purchased that morning.

Kamploy stated the elephant left with out hurting anybody after getting his snacks.

Danai Sookkanthachat, a volunteer park employee aware of the elephant, stated Plai Biang Lek, who's about 30 years outdated, is a well-known sight within the space and has been identified to enter individuals's homes looking for meals. This was the primary time he had seen him going right into a grocery retailer.

"After he left the store, he went on to open a bed room window of one other home," he instructed the Related Press.

Danai stated wild elephants within the Khao Yai Nationwide Park space have been popping out of the woods to ransack individuals's kitchens for a few years, however this yr he has began seeing them going into extra random locations to seek out meals.

There have been an estimated 4,000 wild elephants in Thailand in 2024, in keeping with the Division of Nationwide Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. As farmers push into forests for agriculture, elephants have been pressured to enterprise out of their shrinking habitats looking for meals, resulting in confrontations that may flip lethal.