While the clip is funny and cute on the one hand – who doesn’t like to see animals do unexpected hilarious things, all for food – it’s also a warning about feeding wild animals. As the original poster for the video wrote in a second tweet:
“On a more serious note, that’s why you see a ‘do not feed wildlife’ sign near the wooded area. They’ve gotten used to the new taste. They keep coming up the road and being close to the man. It’s not good for them in the long run.”
He adds that it may have nothing to do with this video, but it is a warning nonetheless.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time an elephant has stopped a vehicle for a snack! Several incidents have surfaced online over the past few years that show a similar situation.
As the original poster for this video pointed out, it may very well go back to human habits of feeding wild animals, tricking animals into thinking they’ll always have food if they stop and come close. a passing car.
This is linked to the larger issue of humans taking over land for agriculture, thus pushing elephants into smaller spaces. The loss of their habitat creates even more problems when elephants eat the crops of local farmers – they eat up to 450 kg of food per day!
Thus, farmers may lose all their livelihoods to animals eating their crops, causing tension between humans and wild animals, with some farmers taking strict measures to protect their land, which is not all safe for the elephants.
Fortunately, there are organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) working to reduce this conflict with elephants through humane practices. Some of them include:
“Chillies and tobacco to keep elephants out of the fields; changing farming practices – making it easier to defend farms; planting crops that elephants don’t like; educate; and improving oil palm cultivation practices in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Other measures include aiding the seasonal movement of elephants and other animals in the lower Terai region of Nepal, allowing the animals to travel without having to cross human habitation. Ultimately, humans and wild animals must co-exist, and the sooner they can do this peacefully, the better for both of them.
