Elephant Holds Up Traffic To Steal Sugar Cane From Passing Trucks

This weekend, drivers in Thailand were shocked to see what, or who was holding up traffic. A passerby shot a video of an elephant stopping trucks in order to steal sugar cane. The video shows an elephant on a road in Chachoengsao going from truck to truck in search of something to eat from the backs of trucks and discovering the sugar cane crops.

A Thai Elephant Holds Up Traffic After Stealing Sugar Cane From Passing Trucks

Witnesses say that the traffic jam caused by the elephant brought traffic to a stop for over two hours, says UPI. Arnie Banpho said that due to the size of the elephant, everyone was too scared to do much of anything to move him along and away from their haul of sugar cane.

“He was a big elephant so nobody was brave enough to get near him and push him back into the trees. Cars were driving very slowly passed him and there were big queues while they waited for him.”

Kovit Boonphanuk, head of wild elephant care at the Khao Ang Rue Nai mountains, said that even though the elephants seem large, in that area of Thailand, they aren’t aggressive.

“The elephants in this area are friendly and never harm anyone. He only wanted some food.”

He explains that most of the regulars know that an elephant will approach their trucks for a snack, but on Sunday, the road was filled with tourists and others.

“Truck drivers who use the road regularly are familiar with elephants and take extra care but this was an unusual occasion when the animal stopped many vehicles and would not leave.”

Elephant causes a huge traffic jam by STOPPING a passing lorry to steal sugar cane https://t.co/PpP3clQtib

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 19, 2018

Experts Say That The Local Elephants Are Gentle, But You Shouldn’t Try To Scare Them

Kovit Boonphanuk said that in a situation where you run into an elephant on the road, the most important thing is to avoid scaring them. Even though there seemed to be only one elephant in this traffic jam, there could be a herd nearby.

“We would like to remind anyone who encounters elephants while in their vehicles to stay well back, do not use the car horn and do not shout at them. Let the elephants continue what they are doing, or they may become angry. Elephants often travel in herds and there may be others nearby.”

Watch: Elephant blocks road while stealing snacks from trucks https://t.co/iPFgkiumFA via @oddnewsupi

— Nigel Green (@radiogreenman) February 20, 2018

Sugar Can Is A Beloved Treat For Elephants In The Wild

The elephant that stopped traffic is a resident of the nearby jungle, and likely he smelled the sugar cane and other vegetation that was in the back of the truck beds. Macroevolution says that elephants are grazers and browsers. Because of their size, they can seek food on the ground as well as in the trees.

In captivity, elephants are often fed cabbage, apples, lettuce, bananas, as well as hay as a mainstay. In the wild, elephants seek out green leafy plants, and sugar cane is certainly a favorite.

“Elephants love sugar cane and other crops so much that it has become an agricultural pest, raiding and ruining gardens and rice paddies.”