Kicker: An afternoon snack

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: A grocery store in Thailand had a surprise shopper this week. One with tusks and a trunk!

The wild elephant is well known to local rangers. He even has a name: Plai Biang Lek [ply bee-ung lek] He wandered in from the edge of a national park and raided the shelves for a sandwich, bananas, and rice crackers. Total bill: around $25 in US dollars.

It took a few minutes to escort the pachyderm out, leaving behind a mess and a good story.

As forests shrink in size, Thailand’s elephants are going to town more often, sometimes with tragic results.

This time, though? Just an unpaid tab.

It’s The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.