Watch This Bold Elephant Casually Steal a Snack Off a Truck

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Written by Kellianne Matthews

Published: January 17, 2025

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Thai elephant eating sugar cane
akkarawat jaipech/Shutterstock.com

Elephants are incredibly intelligent animals. As human settlements expand and encroach on their natural habitat, these clever creatures are using their impressive ingenuity to adapt. In the video above, a hungry elephant cleverly snags a sweet sugar cane treat while casually crossing the street.

Where Elephants Live in the Wild

asian elephant

Asian elephants can use tools and demonstrate grief and compassion.

The above video highlights an Indian elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant. Approximately 15% of the world’s wild Indian elephants live in Thailand. Around half of Thailand’s elephants reside in protected areas within the country.

A Short History of Elephants and Humans in Thailand

Glyptic, alto-relievo of Temples of Love in Khajuraho, Scenes from the life of the Indian rulers of the Chandel dynasty 9-11 century: war, warrior, horses, war elephants, kings procession

War elephants have been utilized in Thailand since at least the 13th century.

The relationship between humans and elephants in Thailand is complicated. Elephants have long been considered sacred in Thai culture, particularly among the Buddhist population. They are also the official national animal of Thailand. Despite this revered status, however, these animals have also been exploited for centuries for labor and warfare in that country.

Today, the treatment of elephants there varies greatly. In some areas, elephant camps continue to train these animals for tourism, offering rides and entertainment. However, there are also many protected areas where wild elephants can roam freely.

Coexisting with Elephants

Human preparing sugarcane for elephants with machete in Thailand

In Thailand, people often give sugarcane to elephants as a sweet treat.

As human settlements expand throughout Asia, encounters between elephants and humans are becoming more frequent. Sadly, these interactions can often end in tragedy. Between 2012 and 2018, for example, over 100 elephants or humans were injured during such encounters. Farmers also use electric fences to protect their crops, leading to numerous elephant deaths in recent years.

While many human-elephant encounters result in conflict, others have found ways to peacefully coexist. In some areas, farmers and truck drivers pay an “elephant tax” to the creatures, much like the exchange seen in the video above, which helps discourage elephants from raiding farms. In addition, when an elephant crosses a road, drivers are instructed to stop and remain quiet until the animal moves away, reducing the risk of harm to both parties.

Even Elephants Have a Sweet Tooth

Asian elephant close-up

Elephants are grazers and enjoy variety.

Sugar doesn’t typically feature greatly in an elephant’s diet. Much like humans, however, elephants enjoy snacking on sweet treats like sugar cane.

Elephants are herbivores and eat things like bananas and fruits, tree bark, leaves, and bamboo. Their enormous size also comes with an enormous appetite. A single elephant can eat 220 to 440 pounds of food each day and often spends 18 hours a day foraging and eating!


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About the Author

Kellianne Matthews

Kellianne Matthews is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is on anthrozoology, conservation, human-animal relationships, and animal behavior. Kellianne has been writing and researching animals for over ten years and has decades of hands-on experience working with a variety of different animals. She holds a Master’s Degree from Brigham Young University, which she earned in 2017. A resident of Utah, Kellianne enjoys creating, analyzing movies, and hanging out with her dog and cats.

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