One especially hungry wild elephant caused a ruckus in the southern province of Dong Nai earlier this week.
The incident took place around 6:45am in Vinh Cuu District when a wild male elephant wandered into a farming area where many people were traveling to work, reports Tuoi Tre.
Its sudden appearance scared away most of the nearby locals, however some decided to stay and warn others of the danger ahead. Unfortunately, Dong Nai resident Nguyen Van Khang did not heed the warning and wound up in a confrontation with the creature. Terrified, he abandoned his vehicle and ran away.
With his motorbike left behind, the elephant used his trunk to lift the vehicle and throw it, later stomping on the motorbike several times before knocking over a few trees and heading back into the bushes.
Later that day, the animal was shooed back into the forest by local rangers. According to Thanh Nien, local forest protection officer Pham Van Dong explained: “He was only in the area to look for mangoes and cashew fruits, his favorite food.” Due to an intense lack of food in the forest this time of year, the creature left its usual surroundings to find a meal.
Elephants are likely to search for food at local farms between 5pm and 7am on a daily basis, according to Dong. “Elephants have recently been seen in the area looking for durians and cashew nuts. Despite their calm nature, these mammals can easily become aggressive if surrounded by many people.”
The elephant was soon recognized by rangers as the same animal they had spotted around this time last week, as the creature has asymmetrical tusks.
In hopes of avoiding unnecessary confrontation with the wild animal, farmers are encouraged not to go to work early or return home late.
The male elephant is said to belong to a small herd of endangered Asian elephants in the area which consists of 11 creatures at most. In Vietnam, they are classified as “critically endangered”.
