Cheeky elephant caught trying to steal food from van at campsite 

By Mikey Jones 

A cheeky elephant has been caught trying to steal food at a campsite.

The footage, taken by Willem Bakhuys Roozeboom, 45, shows the elephant using his trunk to try and access a food van.

PIC BY Willem Bakhuys Roozeboom / CATERS NEWS –

But the vehicle, parked at Mana Pools campsite, Zimbabwe, was too secure for the hopeful thief.

The safari camp manager has said that elephants are attracted to the smell of fruit and will stop at nothing to reach their goal.

Thankfully this elephant soon got bored and can be later seen munching on a leafy branch.

Willem said: “Almost every day this particular elephant will visit the campsite gently walking around, sniffing cars, tents, chairs and our laundry on the line.

PIC BY Willem Bakhuys Roozeboom / CATERS NEWS

“As long as you give him his space, don’t make sudden movements or chase him away he will be as relaxed as he is in the video.

“The elephant knew I was there the whole time. He looks, but doesn’t pay any attention to me while I calmly walk around staying out of his personal space. He just want his fruits and vegetables.

“My girlfriend Iris Breeman, can be seen closing the back of our truck not to make it too easy for the elephant to get in and investigate what else we carried with us.

“You can hear in the video that I make one attempt to ’shoo’ him off. That clearly made no impression at all, so I left it.

PIC BY Willem Bakhuys Roozeboom / CATERS NEWS

“It’s his space much more than it is ours and the last thing I wanted was to upset him.

“We just had to face the consequences, whatever that would be, rather than to chase him of which might have given him the wrong associations for the future.”