A hungry elephant attracted by the smell of barbecue overturned a family’s vehicle in an act of karma after they broke camp cooking rules.
The family was visiting a resort in the Khao Yai forest in northeastern Thailand when they ignored the advice of rangers and cooked a barbecue meal on August 11.
A herd of elephants caught the scent of roasting chicken and pork and came out of the forest towards the car park.
Footage shows three elephants and two calves trampling through the camp in search of food, before one female apparently grew frustrated and attacked the family’s black Honda by kicking it with her front leg.
The elephant then used its giant trunk to overturn the sedan and eventually knock off the roof. With no food to be found, the herd headed back to the forest.
The family was visiting a resort in the Khao Yai forest in northeastern Thailand when they ignored rangers’ advice and set up a barbecue on August 11. A herd of elephants smelled the chicken and pork being grilled and charged out of the forest into the car park.
Footage shows three elephants and two calves trampling through the camp in search of food, before one female apparently grew frustrated and attacked the family’s black Honda by kicking it with her front leg.
It then used its giant trunk to tip the sedan onto its side and eventually flip the roof off. With no food in sight, the pack headed back into the forest.
No one was injured, but the car was badly damaged and had to be towed to a garage for repairs.
Chaiya Huayhongthong, head of Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima province, said rangers were alerted to the incident and drove the elephants deeper into the jungle to avoid further confrontations with humans.
The wildlife worker said: ‘The elephants had followed the scent of food after guests secretly cooked in their accommodation, prompting the animals to forage for food.
‘The owner of the vehicle understood the situation after the park provided him with a small compensation and helped return the vehicle to Bangkok.
‘I must remind tourists to respect the park rules, which prohibit cooking.’
Elephants are known for their voracious appetite. The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) found that they need to eat up to 150kg of food per day, the equivalent of 375 cans of baked beans.
Conservationists in Thailand say those living in the wild have even developed a taste for human food, preferring to scavenge homes and vehicles for snacks rather than the bland leaves they find in the forest.
There are an estimated 3,500 wild elephants in Thailand and encounters with humans have increased in recent years.