A wild elephant held up trucks like a highway robber to steal pieces of sugarcane.

Footage shows the hungry jumbo standing in the middle of the road sniffing the vehicle for food in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on January 17.

It then spent more than five minutes stuffing its face with freshly harvested crops that it looted from the back of the truck.

Nervous passing driver Teerapong Mungamnerd stayed well back while watching the scene unfold.

He said: ‘Whenever I pass this road, I see elephants around, but this is my first time seeing the jumbo trying to hop on the truck that way.’

Wildlife officials believe that smart wild elephants have honed the habit of stealing fresh food from vehicles, which provide a plentiful source of food.

An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity, where they live in sanctuaries, zoos or work privately for hire at weddings and festivals. In the wild, there is conflict when they come in contact with humans who also use the area for farming and gathering food.

Elephants are a protected animal in Thailand and killing them carries a maximum prison term of up to three years and a fine of 1,000 baht (25GBP).

A wild elephant held up trucks like a highway robber to steal pieces of sugarcane.

Footage shows the hungry jumbo standing in the middle of the road sniffing the vehicle for food in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on January 17.

It then spent more than five minutes stuffing its face with freshly harvested crops that it looted from the back of the truck.

Nervous passing driver Teerapong Mungamnerd stayed well back while watching the scene unfold.

He said: ‘Whenever I pass this road, I see elephants around, but this is my first time seeing the jumbo trying to hop on the truck that way.’

Wildlife officials believe that smart wild elephants have honed the habit of stealing fresh food from vehicles, which provide a plentiful source of food.

An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity, where they live in sanctuaries, zoos or work privately for hire at weddings and festivals. In the wild, there is a conflict when they come in contact with humans who also use the area for farming and gathering food.

Elephants are a protected animal in Thailand and killing them carries a maximum prison term of up to three years and a fine of 1,000 baht (25GBP).