Lifestyle Pets Herd of Wild Elephants Crossing the Street in Thailand Brings Traffic to a Standstill The large group of elephants emerged from the jungle and stomped across the road in Chachoengsao, a province in south-central Thailand By Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Instagram Twitter Nicholas Rice is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. Nicholas has previous work experience with Billboard, POPSUGAR, Bustle and Elite Daily. When not working, Nicholas can be found playing with his 5 dogs, listening to pop music or eating mozzarella sticks. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 17, 2020 02:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Talk about a traffic-stopper! A herd of wild elephants — both young and old — brought traffic to a standstill and created quite a spectacle when they crossed a major highway in a Thailand province. Footage shows the large group of elephants emerge from the jungle and stomp across the road in Chachoengsao, a province in south-central Thailand. Several police officers were on-site to ensure that the elephants made it safely across the street, and dozens of local onlookers stopped to gather on both sides of the road and watch the animals calmly make their way past. Meghan Markle ‘Intrigued by the Female Empowerment Side’ of Elephants, Says Filmmaker According to the Daily Mail, Pratya Chutipat Sakul, who filmed the clip, shared, “More than 50 wild elephants crossed the highway. They were moving together from one part of the jungle to the other.” “The wildlife officers had been following the elephants for the last few days. When they saw that their path was moving towards the road, they called the police and urgently closed the road. Policemen arrived to ensure that the elephants crossed smoothly and there were no accidents.” He added, “Nobody minds waiting for the elephants, as the most important thing is that they’re safe. The elephants were all so calm and barely noticed the humans. I feel very lucky to have seen such an amazing sight.” The entire crossing reportedly took just under 40 seconds. Bear Sightings in Yosemite Have ‘Quadrupled’ Since Park Closed to Tourists Due to Coronavirus Similarly, at a different part of the globe, black bears in Yosemite have begun roaming territory they usually would avoid because of tourists. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to the temporary closure of America’s Yosemite National Park last month, and with the humans away, the wild animals that call the area home have taken back the land. Over recent weeks, Yosemite has shared glimpses on social media of the increased animal sightings, specifically of black bears. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.