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There’s only so much you can do to prevent an elephant from going where it pleases when you consider they’re the biggest land animal on the planet. That includes the one that recently decided to make its way inside a grocery store in Thailand and help itself to some food before it was escorted away.
Africa and Asia are the only continents on the planet where elephants can be found in the wild, and the ones that roam the countries located in the latter tend to have pretty free rein in the areas they call home due to their revered status in Buddhist and Hindu culture.
That’s the case in Thailand, a country that is currently home to upwards of 3,500 wild elephants that primarily reside in protected forests but have a tendency to wander into populated areas where people have come to learn how to coexist with them.
That includes those living in the Pak Chong district in the vicinity of Khao Yai National Park, a preserve located northeast of Thailand that’s around a two-hour drive away from the capital city.
Earlier this year, a male elephant that’s been dubbed Plai Biang Lek made his way into a restaurant in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima and spent more than 30 minutes rummaging through its outdoor kitchen before being shooed away.
According to The Independent, the 23-year-old animal managed to make headlines again earlier this week when he strolled into an open-air grocery store in Pak Chong around 3 P.M. on Monday and proceeded to chow down on some snacks before the owner and park rangers who were notified of his presence attempted to usher him out.
The elephant ultimately spent around 10 minutes in the store before leaving, and according to the Bangkok Post, the owner says he’ll have to shell out 1,000 baht (approximately $30) to replace the pilfered food and the shelves that were damaged during Plai Biang Lek’s incursion.
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