Viral Video: Hungry Elephant Enters A Grocery Store, Eats 10 Packets Of Sweets

(MENAFN- Live Mint) In Thailand , a hungry elephant entered a grocery shop looking for snacks and got stuck under the low roof. The 27-year-old wild elephant, Plai Biang Lek, is known in the area near Khao Yai National Park.

On June 2, he surprised shopkeepers in Nakhon Ratchasima by walking straight into their store. CCTV footage showed him using his trunk to gently push a freezer and reach the snack counter.

He grabbed about 10 packets of sweets, along with dried bananas and peanut treats. He kept on eating calmly for around 10 minutes.

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Shop owner Khamploi Kakaew said business was slow that afternoon. She tried to shoo him away.

“Business was a bit slow that day. Around 2 PM, the elephant just walked right up. I came out and tried to shoo it away. I told it not to come closer,” CNN quoted Kakaew as saying.

But, he didn't listen. Outside the store, another elephant kept waiting,“probably waiting”, according to its owner.

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“He's around here often but never hurts anyone. I think he just wanted snacks,” Khamploi added.

After the surprise visit, a wildlife group came and offered Khamploi 800 baht for the stolen food.

“They said they were 'sponsoring the elephant's snack bill' – it was kind of funny,” the store owner said.

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Elephants often pass by the area, but this was the first time one entered the store. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Locals laughed and shared videos online. They called the elephant both clever and cheeky for remembering where the snacks were kept.

Elephants vs humans

The elephant, Thailand's national animal, is facing a major drop in its wild population due to tourism, logging, poaching and humans moving into their forest homes. From over 1 lakh elephants in the early 1900s, only 3,000 to 4,000 remain today, CNN reported.

In Khao Yai, local volunteers are trying to stop elephants from entering villages. One elephant, Biang Lek, now lives in a village and often damages property while looking for food.

Such close contact can be dangerous, sometimes even leading to elephants destroying cars.

Khao Yai National Park has around 140–200 wild elephants. Efforts are on to keep both people and animals safe, the publication added.

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