That sign you usually see outside grocery stores that says no dogs also applies to elephants, but this one in Thailand didn’t get the memo.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Plai Biang Lek, a local elephant, decided to take a stroll out of the Khao Yai National Park. There was little the handlers could do with the enormous mammal, and it paid no attention as it walked down a local high street.
Apparently, the elephant had worked up an appetite and decided to stop off in a grocery store. The big grey animal managed to duck its body enough to get through the door. Once inside, the elephant headed straight for the snacks.
Thankfully, the elephant was not stressed out at all. The shopkeeper tried their best to move it on, but there wasn’t much anyone could do. “Business was a bit slow that day. Around 2 p.m., the elephant just walked right up. I came out and tried to shoo it away. I told it not to come closer,” the shopkeeper told CNN.
Elephant Robs Grocery Store Right Under Clerk’s Nose
The big old elephant seemed to know what it was after in the grocery store. Speaking to CNN, the clerk was shocked to see it make a beeline for its favorite snack. “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 said. Jumbo paid her no heed as it looked for what it came in for.
“It went straight to the snacks, picked through them with its trunk. It ate about 10 bags of sweets. They’re 35 baht ($1) each. It also ate dried bananas and peanut snacks.” Eventually, park rangers were able to shoo the elephant from the grocery store, but not before it racked up a bill.
The shopkeeper wasn’t particularly upset. The footage shows the huge elephant helping itself, but it has done surprisingly little damage.
According to locals, the elephants often pass through the small town. But this is the first time one has actually come into a shop for a bite to eat.