A family's vacation in Sri Lanka took an unexpected and thrilling turn when they encountered a wild elephant in Yala National Park. Little did they know that their leisurely jungle safari would turn&nbsp;into a heart-pounding experience.

As the family's van meandered through the park, an elephant emerged from the dense trees, surprising the tourists.&nbsp;What started as a typical wildlife sighting soon escalated into a dramatic event that would be etched in their memories forever.

To the shock of the tourists, the wild elephant took an unconventional approach to satiating its hunger—it smashed through the van's window. Panic surged through the vehicle as the elephant&nbsp;infiltrated their space, leaving the occupants in a state of&nbsp;panic.

The elephant, driven by its quest for food, began rummaging through the driver's seat. A video capturing the intense moment shows&nbsp;the elephant's powerful trunk exploring the interior of the van.

Watch the video here:

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This is what happens when elephants get used to being fed by humans in passing vehicles!! <a href="https://t.co/t56QpEIA9y">pic.twitter.com/t56QpEIA9y</a>
— Evarts (@r_evarts) <a href="https://twitter.com/r_evarts/status/1734436484470685945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Chips to the rescue</h2>

In a desperate attempt to calm the elephant, one of the tourists offered a packet of chips. Surprisingly, the elephant, momentarily satisfied, withdrew into the lush jungle.&nbsp;

Kasun Basnayake, an Australian on vacation with his family, shared his perspective on the harrowing encounter with the BBC.&nbsp;The driver's advice to offer any available food items, including his son's leftover sandwich, played a crucial role in appeasing the elephant.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-gypsy-driver-held-at-jim-corbett-national-park-after-tiger-charges-at-tourists-588015">Also read |&nbsp;India: Driver held at Jim Corbett National Park after tiger charges at tourists</a>

Despite the tense nature of the encounter, there were no reported casualties. The family's resourceful actions and the driver's skillful maneuvering helped them escape unscathed from this unexpected rendezvous with the wild elephant.

Also watch |&nbsp;Top Chinese pharmaceutical companies use parts of endangered animals as ingredients: Report

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This incident joins a series of viral moments in Yala National Park, where wildlife encounters take unexpected turns.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A family's vacation in Sri Lanka took an unexpected and thrilling turn when they encountered a wild elephant in Yala National Park. Little did they know that their leisurely jungle safari would turn into a heart-pounding experience.

A family's vacation in Sri Lanka took an unexpected and thrilling turn when they encountered a wild elephant in Yala National Park. Little did they know that their leisurely jungle safari would turn into a heart-pounding experience. As the family's van meandered through the park, an elephant emerged from the dense trees, surprising the tourists. What started as a typical wildlife sighting soon escalated into a dramatic event that would be etched in their memories forever. To the shock of the tourists, the wild elephant took an unconventional approach to satiating its hunger—it smashed through the van's window. Panic surged through the vehicle as the elephant infiltrated their space, leaving the occupants in a state of panic. The elephant, driven by its quest for food, began rummaging through the driver's seat. A video capturing the intense moment shows the elephant's powerful trunk exploring the interior of the van. Watch the video here: This is what happens when elephants get used to being fed by humans in passing vehicles!! pic.twitter.com/t56QpEIA9y — Evarts (@r_evarts) December 12, 2023 × Chips to the rescue In a desperate attempt to calm the elephant, one of the tourists offered a packet of chips. Surprisingly, the elephant, momentarily satisfied, withdrew into the lush jungle. Kasun Basnayake, an Australian on vacation with his family, shared his perspective on the harrowing encounter with the BBC. The driver's advice to offer any available food items, including his son's leftover sandwich, played a crucial role in appeasing the elephant. Also read | India: Driver held at Jim Corbett National Park after tiger charges at tourists Despite the tense nature of the encounter, there were no reported casualties. The family's resourceful actions and the driver's skillful maneuvering helped them escape unscathed from this unexpected rendezvous with the wild elephant. Also watch | Top Chinese pharmaceutical companies use parts of endangered animals as ingredients: Report This incident joins a series of viral moments in Yala National Park, where wildlife encounters take unexpected turns. (With inputs from agencies)

Wild elephant charges, smashes van window for snacks in Sri Lanka safari drama. Watch

Two bombs exploded in front of a government office in Thailand's insurgency-hit southern Yala province on Tuesday, wounding 18 people, a security official said.

The explosions took place in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), a Thai government body that oversees the administration of three mostly Malay-Muslim majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala where an insurgency since 2004 has killed some 7,000 people.

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SBPAC was hosting a government meeting on the region's response to the outbreak of the coronavirus prior to the explosions.

"The first bomb was a grenade thrown to the area outside the SBPAC office fence to draw people out," Colonel Pramote Prom-in, a military regional security spokesman told the source.

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"Then a car bomb about 10 meters from the first explosion went off. This was hidden in a pick-up truck where the perpetrators parked near the fence. Eighteen are wounded and no one died," he said.

The car bomb exploded ten minutes after the first explosion and among the wounded were five reporters, five police officers, two soldiers and other bystanders, Pramote said.

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There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Such claims are rare following attacks in the region.

The population of the provinces, which belonged to an independent Malay Muslim sultanate before Thailand annexed them in 1909, is 80 per cent Muslim, while the rest of the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist. The conflict has flared on and off for decades as insurgent groups fought a guerrilla war to demand independence for the area.

A peace dialogue between the Thai government and the main insurgent group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has resumed this year after the group pull out of the process in 2014.

Two bombs exploded in front of a government office in Thailand's insurgency-hit southern Yala province on Tuesday, wounding 18 people, a security official said. The explosions took place in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), a Thai government body that oversees the administration of three mostly Malay-Muslim majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala where an insurgency since 2004 has killed some 7,000 people.

Two bombs exploded in front of a government office in Thailand's insurgency-hit southern Yala province on Tuesday, wounding 18 people, a security official said. The explosions took place in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), a Thai government body that oversees the administration of three mostly Malay-Muslim majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala where an insurgency since 2004 has killed some 7,000 people. Also read: Blast in Afghanistan football field kills three civilians SBPAC was hosting a government meeting on the region's response to the outbreak of the coronavirus prior to the explosions. "The first bomb was a grenade thrown to the area outside the SBPAC office fence to draw people out," Colonel Pramote Prom-in, a military regional security spokesman told the source. Also see: Thai immigration officers at Bangkok airport diagnosed with COVID-19 "Then a car bomb about 10 meters from the first explosion went off. This was hidden in a pick-up truck where the perpetrators parked near the fence. Eighteen are wounded and no one died," he said. The car bomb exploded ten minutes after the first explosion and among the wounded were five reporters, five police officers, two soldiers and other bystanders, Pramote said. Also read: Yemen minister's bodyguards killed in convoy blast There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Such claims are rare following attacks in the region. The population of the provinces, which belonged to an independent Malay Muslim sultanate before Thailand annexed them in 1909, is 80 per cent Muslim, while the rest of the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist. The conflict has flared on and off for decades as insurgent groups fought a guerrilla war to demand independence for the area. A peace dialogue between the Thai government and the main insurgent group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has resumed this year after the group pull out of the process in 2014.

Two bombs explode outside Thai government office in Yala, wounding 18

Suspected separatist insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in&nbsp;Thailand's&nbsp;Muslim-majority south and&nbsp;killed at least&nbsp;15&nbsp;people, including a police officer and many village defence volunteers, security officials said on Wednesday.

It was the&nbsp;worst&nbsp;single&nbsp;attack&nbsp;in&nbsp;years&nbsp;in a region where a Muslim separatist insurgency has&nbsp;killed thousands.

The&nbsp;attackers, in the province of Yala, also used explosives and scattered nails on roads to delay pursuers late on Tuesday night.

"This is likely the work of the insurgents," Colonel Pramote Prom-in, a regional security spokesman, told Reuters.

"This is one of the biggest&nbsp;attacks&nbsp;in recent times."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, however, as is common with such&nbsp;attacks.

A decades-old separatist insurgency in predominantly Buddhist&nbsp;Thailand's&nbsp;largely ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat has&nbsp;killed nearly 7,000 people since 2004, says Deep South Watch, a group that monitors the violence.

The population of the provinces, which belonged to an independent Malay Muslim sultanate before Thailand annexed them in 1909, is 80 per cent Muslim, while the rest of the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist.

Some rebel groups in the south have said they are fighting to establish an independent state.

Authorities arrested several suspects from the region in August over a series of small bombs detonated in Bangkok, the capital, although they have not directly blamed any insurgent group.

The main insurgency group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), denied responsibility for the Bangkok bombings, which wounded four people.

In August, the group told Reuters it had held a secret preliminary meeting with the government, but any step towards a peace process appeared to wither after the deputy prime minister rejected a key demand for the release of prisoners.

Suspected separatist insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in Thailand's Muslim-majority south and killed at least 15 people, including a police officer and many village defence volunteers, security officials said on Wednesday.

Suspected separatist insurgents stormed a security checkpoint in Thailand's Muslim-majority south and killed at least 15 people, including a police officer and many village defence volunteers, security officials said on Wednesday. It was the worst single attack in years in a region where a Muslim separatist insurgency has killed thousands. The attackers, in the province of Yala, also used explosives and scattered nails on roads to delay pursuers late on Tuesday night. "This is likely the work of the insurgents," Colonel Pramote Prom-in, a regional security spokesman, told Reuters. "This is one of the biggest attacks in recent times." There was no immediate claim of responsibility, however, as is common with such attacks. A decades-old separatist insurgency in predominantly Buddhist Thailand's largely ethnic Malay-Muslim provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat has killed nearly 7,000 people since 2004, says Deep South Watch, a group that monitors the violence. The population of the provinces, which belonged to an independent Malay Muslim sultanate before Thailand annexed them in 1909, is 80 per cent Muslim, while the rest of the country is overwhelmingly Buddhist. Some rebel groups in the south have said they are fighting to establish an independent state. Authorities arrested several suspects from the region in August over a series of small bombs detonated in Bangkok, the capital, although they have not directly blamed any insurgent group. The main insurgency group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), denied responsibility for the Bangkok bombings, which wounded four people. In August, the group told Reuters it had held a secret preliminary meeting with the government, but any step towards a peace process appeared to wither after the deputy prime minister rejected a key demand for the release of prisoners.

Gunmen kill 15 in southern Thailand's worst attack in years

A motorcycle bomb exploded in a market in Thailand&#39;s southern Yala province on Monday, killing three people and wounding 18, a spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) said.

The mostly Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala in Thailand&#39;s far south are home to a long-running insurgency by ethnic Malay Muslims fighting for autonomy in which more than 6,000 people have been killed since 2004.

&quot;The criminals put a bomb in a motorcycle and placed it next to a market cart. The force of the explosion caused three people to lose their lives,&quot; said ISOC spokesman Pramote Prom-in. The ISOC is a government security force that operates in the region.

No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack on Monday, which took place at a roadside morning market.

The region has seen hundreds of attacks since 2004, many of them deadly, but there had been fewer violent incidents of late.

Analysts who monitor the conflict say violence from the insurgency fell to a historic low in 2017 despite the fact that talks aimed at bringing peace gained little traction.

Thailand&#39;s military government has tried to revive talks with rebel groups initiated by the previous civilian government, but they have gone almost nowhere.

Resistance to Buddhist rule from Bangkok has existed for decades in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces, waning briefly in the 1990s before resurfacing violently in 2004.

No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack on Monday, which took place at a roadside morning market

A motorcycle bomb exploded in a market in Thailand's southern Yala province on Monday, killing three people and wounding 18, a spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) said. The mostly Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala in Thailand's far south are home to a long-running insurgency by ethnic Malay Muslims fighting for autonomy in which more than 6,000 people have been killed since 2004. "The criminals put a bomb in a motorcycle and placed it next to a market cart. The force of the explosion caused three people to lose their lives," said ISOC spokesman Pramote Prom-in. The ISOC is a government security force that operates in the region. No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack on Monday, which took place at a roadside morning market. The region has seen hundreds of attacks since 2004, many of them deadly, but there had been fewer violent incidents of late. Analysts who monitor the conflict say violence from the insurgency fell to a historic low in 2017 despite the fact that talks aimed at bringing peace gained little traction. Thailand's military government has tried to revive talks with rebel groups initiated by the previous civilian government, but they have gone almost nowhere. Resistance to Buddhist rule from Bangkok has existed for decades in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces, waning briefly in the 1990s before resurfacing violently in 2004.

Bomb in Thailand's south kills three, wounds 18: Security official

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