Wild Elephant Invades School to Feast on Mangoes

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

Teachers at a rural school in Chachoengsao province are on high alert after a wild elephant broke into the school grounds in the middle of the night to raid a mango tree, on the night before the start of the new school term.

The incident occurred at Wat Thung Yai Chi School in Moo 3, Thung Yai Chi village, Tha Takiap district. CCTV footage captured the elephant shaking a heavily laden mango tree beside the school football field and consuming most of the ripe fruit. The disturbance was partly thwarted by “Tank”, the school’s resident dog, which barked persistently and, along with two other dogs, helped drive the elephant away.

Mr Parinya Phadungkij, a teacher at the school, was among staff preparing classrooms for the start of term on 16 May. He showed reporters the site of the raid, where ripe mangoes lay scattered on the ground and the branches had been heavily stripped of fruit.

According to Mr Parinya, this was the first time the school had ever experienced an incursion by a wild elephant. CCTV footage from around 03:10, showed a large elephant, approximately 2.6 metres tall, entering the school premises. It wandered past the newly built kindergarten building, passed under a connecting walkway roughly 2.7 metres high, and entered the roofless multipurpose area before exiting through the opposite gate.

Minutes later, the elephant returned via the school’s football field and began shaking the mango tree at the corner. Tank the dog, alongside two others, barked loudly to chase it away. Though they initially succeeded, the elephant returned a short time later to continue feeding. Once again, Tank’s barking forced the animal back into the forested area beyond the school’s perimeter.

Although the intrusion occurred during the school holiday and in the early hours of the morning, the incident has prompted staff to maintain vigilance, fearing that the elephant could return at any time, posing a danger to students.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-17.