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The video shows the elephant, known to local park rangers as Auan-tia, wandering out into a road through the wildlife sanctuary in Chachoengsao and blocking the path of a truck.

The thieving pachyderm uses its long trunk to steal sugar cane from the open top of the truck’s trailer.

Rangers said the elephant then inspected the loads from all of the trucks behind the original vehicle, taking crops from some.

“The elephant was checking every car that passed. I think he believed he was a police inspector,” said Khun Angluenai, the government wildlife officer who recorded the video. ”It was like he had set up his own checkpoint to look through the vehicles, just like officers do. When he finished inside one car, he went on to the next one.”

Angluenai said official policy is not to try to stop elephants unless they are posing a danger to humans.

”The best way to handle the situation is to allow the elephants to continue with what they want. They will walk away when they are ready. If they are frightened they may react aggressively.”