‘I think he just wanted snacks’: Thai shopkeeper caught off guard as wild elephant visits store

CNN An elephant never forgets where the snacks are stored A large wild elephant caught shopkeepers off guard at a convenience store in Thailand on Monday when it lumbered into the shop in search of food The hungry mammal can be seen on CCTV footage entering the store and helping itself to snacks Business was a bit slow that day Around p m the elephant just walked right up I came out and tried to shoo it away I communicated it not to come closer shop owner Khamploi Kakaew communicated CNN I recounted it Go away go on but it didn t listen It was like it came on purpose The store in Thailand s Nakhon Ratchasima province northeast of the capital Bangkok is near the Khao Yai National Park so elephants are often nearby We usually see it pass by and watch from inside the house But it never came into the shop before or hurt anyone she commented The elephant a -year-old male called Plai Biang Lek is well known in the area Khamploi commented it stayed in the store for about minutes picking and eating While wild elephants usually prefer bananas bamboo and grasses Biang Lek went straight for the sweets It walked up to the counter the candy counter near the freezer It used its trunk to gently push the freezer out of the way so it could fit inside she disclosed It went straight to the snacks picked through them with its trunk It ate about bags of sweets they re baht each It also ate dried bananas and peanut snacks Another elephant remained outside the store likely waiting Khamploi commented Park rangers were called and were eventually able to guide the elephant away after much coaxing and shooing He s around here often but never hurts anyone I think he just yearned snacks noted Khamploi Following the unexpected visit a wildlife protection group stopped by and offered Khamploi baht for the stolen goods They noted they were sponsoring the elephant s snack bill it was kind of funny she stated Dwindling population Elephants Thailand s national animal have seen their wild population decline in new decades due to threats from tourism logging poaching and human encroachment on their habitats Experts estimate the wild elephant population in Thailand has dwindled to - from more than at the beginning of the th century A group of local helpers in Khao Yai are working to keep the park s elephants away from residential areas The elephants behavior has changed from looking for food at people s orchards or farms to frequently visiting humans houses Thanongsak Changin a resident and volunteer recounted CNN The elephant Biang Lek had raided several other places before Monday s case Thanongsak revealed even injuring the tip of its trunk after emerging a glass cupboard in a local home He is now living in a village which is exceptional for a wild elephant It is like they don t want to return to the mountain It is easier for them to just stay among the houses he stated Human and elephant encounters are common and can turn violent Thanongsak noted There have been instances of elephants destroying cars Khao Yai National Park is home to an estimated - wild Asian elephants and Thanongsak announced his group is trying to keep the area safe for both elephants and humans