BANGKOK — A hungry wild elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand on Monday when he strolled in from a nearby national park and helped himself to food on the shelves.
The elephant stopped in front of the shop’s counter, calmly snatching and chomping snacks, and did not flinch as the national park workers tried to shoo him away.
The elephant later backed out of the shop still holding a bag of snacks with his trunk.
Kamploy said the elephant left without hurting anyone after getting his snacks.
There were an estimated 4,000 wild elephants in Thailand in 2024, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
BANGKOK — A hungry wild elephant wreaked havoc in a Thai grocery store on Monday after wandering in from a nearby national park and helping himself to food from the shelves.
The massive male elephant, Plai Biang Lek, was captured on camera momentarily stopping in front of the store, which is next to a major road close to Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand, before he ducked inside with his entire body.
The national park staff attempted to shoo the elephant away, but he did not flinch as he stopped in front of the counter, snatching and chomping snacks calmly.
Later, the elephant retreated from the store while still carrying a bag of snacks in his trunk. Apart from muddy footprints on the shop’s floor and ceiling, he caused minimal damage.
Kamploy Kakaew, the store owner, seemed amused as she recounted the incident in a social media video of the elephant rifling through her store. He consumed roughly nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich, and some dried bananas she had purchased that morning, according to her.
According to Kamploy, the elephant got his snacks and departed without causing any harm to anyone.
A volunteer park worker who knows the elephant, Danai Sookkanthachat, said Plai Biang Lek, a 30-year-old elephant, is a common sight in the area and has been known to break into people’s homes in quest of food. This was the first time he had witnessed him entering a supermarket.
He told the Associated Press, “He went on to open a bedroom window of another house after leaving the shop.”.
While wild elephants in the Khao Yai National Park region have long emerged from the woods to raid people’s kitchens, Danai reported that this year he has begun to witness them foraging in more unlikely locations.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation estimates that Thailand’s wild elephant population was 4,000 in 2024. Elephants have been compelled to leave their dwindling habitats in pursuit of food as farmers encroach on forests for farming, which can result in potentially fatal encounters.
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