A Bull Elephant Kneeled On A Car In Thailand, Shattering Back Window| Travel + Leisure
Anyone who has had a friendly encounter with an elephant can tell you how magnificent they are, but of course they can also have a destructive side.
A video taken at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand captured the bizarre and harrowing moment when a bull elephant decided to lay down on the back of a visitor's car.
Luckily, the driver and passengers were unharmed. Their car, however, sustained large dents and even a completely shattered back window.
HLN reported that the elephant first blocked the car from driving around it, then came around to the back and partially crushed it.
It’s unclear why the elephant tried to kneel on the car. Perhaps it was just resting its feet, or maybe it just wasn’t a fan of Toyotas. It is also possible that the elephant could have seen the vehicle as a threat since it was so close.
According to the Bangkok Post, the large elephant is actually well known in the park. The 35-year-old pachyderm is called Duea, and it often “greets” tourists between the wet and cold seasons.
Park officials also warn tourists who are driving through to stay at least 35 meters (about 115 feet) away from the elephants at all times and to not stop and take photos if you are not far enough away. “[Stopping or taking photos] will pose a danger to you and your vehicle,” the officials told the Thai newspaper.
A similar situation happened in the national park in 2015, when another bull elephant attacked the front of a tourist’s car as she was stopping to take a video, according to The Telegraph. In this case, park officials told the UK outlet that the elephant might have been “frustrated with the busy traffic and commotion,” at the time.
