Greedy wild elephant stops passing trucks to steal sugarcane

The 35-year-old jumbo nicknamed 'Fatty' by locals emerged from the forest on a road in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, on December 29.

He walked in front of the vehicles forcing them to slow down, then reached up to the sweet-smelling cargo in their trailers.

Footage shows the bull gorging on the sweet snacks freshly harvested from nearby fields before they arrive at factories to make sugar.

Some truck drivers even had to swerve into the opposite lane to avoid being raided by the powerful beast.

Onlooker Au Wanapin said: 'This elephant is called 'Fatty' because of how much food he eats. He is about 35, male, and does not have tusks.

'He's a wild elephant but he comes out of the woods every year in this area to wait for sugarcane trucks. There are many of them, he's not the only elephant that does this.'

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild where they wander freely among protected forests. Male Asian elephants, unlike African elephants, roam alone once they are over 10 years old while females remain with the herd.

Wildlife officials believe that smart wild elephants have honed the habit of stealing fresh food from vehicles, which provide a plentiful source of food.