Cheeky elephant stops passing trucks to steal bundles of sugar cane

This is the moment a sweet-toothed elephant stopped passing trucks so he could steal a trunk full of sugar cane.

The juvenile, nicknamed Auan-tia by a park ranger, ambled out of the woods and blocked the road like it was his ''own police checkpoint''.

The wild elephant then happily took the agricultural products from fully stacked passing trailers in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao, Thailand, yesterday (January 8).

Gigantic Auan-tia spent several minutes foraging through each truck in the convoy which had been travelling from a local farm.

After sniffing through one vehicle, he looted some food before holding up the next truck in the line and doing the same.

His lunch was made up of sugar cane and cassava.

Khun Angluenai, a government wildlife officer who captured the video, said: ''The elephant was checking every car that passed. I think he believed he was a police inspector.

''It was like he had set up his own checkpoint to look through the vehicles, just like officers do. When he finished inside one car, he went onto the next one.''

The elephant trundled back into the jungle after he had finished his lunch. However, wildlife officials reminded drivers to beware of the animals.

They said: ''The best way to handle the situation is to allow the elephants to continue with what they want. They will walk away when they are ready. If they are frightened they may react aggressively.''