A Khao Yai wild elephant wandered into a Thai barbecue restaurant late at night, rummaging through items before a local wildlife monitoring team guided him away from the community.
Footage of the elephant, known locally as Phlai Duan or Phlai Duan Wanalee, was shared on Facebook on September 16. The video showed him entering the premises of Jaew Hon & Mookata Khao Yai and searching through items around the restaurant.
The Mu Si wild elephant monitoring team responded to the incident and followed Phlai Duan as they worked to move him away from the restaurant and towards a safer area.
Amarin TV reported that people nearby remained alert because the elephant had moved close to shops and the surrounding community. The monitoring team continued tracking his movements in case he returned.
Another video shared by Facebook user Kampol Khemroj showed Phlai Duan foraging near a community bordering the Khao Yai area. He was seen eating weeds and other vegetation before continuing along a route through the neighbourhood.
Phlai Duan is already well known around Khao Yai. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) reported earlier this year that veterinarians and Khao Yai National Park staff were monitoring him after swelling and injuries were found around his tail and tusk area.
By late February, officials said he was eating normally while treatment and monitoring continued.
In January, Phlai Duan entered a temple during a funeral in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima. Monks and attendees moved away as the elephant walked through the temple grounds, and he eventually left without displaying aggressive behaviour.
Khao Yai has seen several similar incidents involving elephants leaving protected areas and entering nearby communities. Another wild elephant, Phlai Biang Lek, entered a barbecue restaurant in Nakhon Ratchasima in September last year, rummaging through the kitchen and leaving items scattered across the floor.
The story Khao Yai wild elephant raids barbecue restaurant at night as seen on Thaiger News.
