Ouagadougou: A surreal scene unfolded last Thursday on National Highway 1 linking Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. A lone elephant blocked traffic before overturning a cargo truck and devouring its load of corn, according to eyewitnesses.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the incident, which resulted in no injuries, occurred in broad daylight between the towns of Baporo and Boromo. The animal suddenly emerged from the Deux Bal© classified forest, a nature reserve adjacent to the road. "The pachyderm ended up right in the middle of the road, immobilizing all the vehicles. The passengers were torn between the curiosity of seeing an elephant so close and the fear of being charged," Abdoulaye Bakayoko, a witness to the scene, told AIB.

After paralyzing traffic for several minutes by wandering between cars, the animal headed towards a truck heavily loaded with grain. "Using its trunk and without apparent effort, it tipped the truck onto the shoulder before beginning to feed," Mr. Bakayoko explained. The elephant then calmly settled down at the roadside to finish its meal, indifferent to the general commotion.

This type of confrontation between wildlife and road users tends to increase in the locality. In recent weeks, herds of elephants have been regularly spotted by travelers along the RN1, particularly near the new bridge in H©r©dougou.

Faced with the recurrence of these incursions, local authorities and road safety associations have reiterated their calls for caution, urging motorists to drastically reduce their speed when approaching forest areas to avoid collisions. Burkina Faso is home to one of the largest elephant populations in West Africa, but the reduction of their natural habitat due to human pressure is increasingly pushing these large mammals towards roads and cultivated areas. The elephant is a protected species, it is remembered.