Thailand is known around the world as the land of the white elephant, and the elephant is its national animal. Now an elephant has done something surprising: in search of food, one broke through a kitchen wall and walked in.

It happened in Prachuap Khiri Khan, in Thailand's Hua Hin district. Making room for an elephant in a kitchen is, quite literally, not easy, so the homeowner, Ratchadawan Puengpaspan, was astonished to see such a huge guest visiting her kitchen.

The homeowner posted photos and a video on Facebook with a caption in Thai saying "comes every day". She wrote nothing more about the elephant's intrusion.

National park superintendent Itthipon Thaimonkol told the media that elephants often go out wandering and, when they smell food, often raid local markets.

Dr Joshua Plotnik, assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College, expressed concern at elephants changing their natural behaviour and turning to people for food. He said elephants were being forced into human settlements because they could not find food from natural sources.

Meanwhile, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in a statement to Nation Thailand that "the government agency will repair the homes of those affected at its own expense as soon as possible".

Reported by Kamrul Alam Rana from Thailand.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.