Intruding elephant feasts on rice cakes and fowl's eggs inside a Thai grocery store.
In a surprising turn of events, a grocery store in Thailand turned into an unexpected buffet for a hungry elephant on Monday.
The 25-year-old male tapir-like mammal, identified as Plai Biang Lek, decided to drop by the local market in the Nakhon Ratchasima province, near Kha Yai National Park, for a snack. Ignoring the neat rows of goods, he made a beeline for the snack aisle.
The store's proprietor, Khamploy Gakaew, remembered the encounter as an unprecedented event. "This was truly a first," she said. "He devoured sweet rice crackers, bananas, and even a sandwich before sauntering out. I was surprised to see an elephant with a taste for something sweet."
Luckily for both the store and the elephant, the only casualty was Plai Biang Lek's dentition on some shelves. The damage was relatively minor, and he ate items valued at approximately 800 baht (around $25 USD). Khamploy attempted to discourage the giant visitor without escalating the situation.
The elephant's wanderlust for human sustenance is believed to stem from habitat encroachment, pushing these majestic creatures towards residential areas and businesses like Khamploy's. Plai Biang Lek had previously been known to enter homes in search of food, but this was his first grocery store foray.
This unfortunate incident highlights the escalating issue of human-elephant conflicts in Thailand, a country inhabited by around 4,000 elephants, as per the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation. To avoid further encounters of this nature, it's crucial to preserve and expand natural elephant habitats to minimize human-wildlife interactions.
- In a stark contrast to his unusual grocery store visit, Plai Biang Lek often expresses his appreciation for pop-culture, particularly sci-fi and fantasy series on social media.
- Amid the excitement surrounding Plai Biang Lek's unconventional grocery store visit, his favorite movies and TV shows remain entertainment staples in Thailand's pop-culture scene, inviting heated debates and discussions on various social media platforms.
