This is the breathtaking moment a wild elephant was seen going for an early morning walk along a village path.

The elderly male jumbo was awake at sunrise before strolling through homes in a village in Nakhon Ratchasima provinces, northeast Thailand, on Sunday December 11.

Residents followed behind the bull, named Plai Sarika, before he crossed a road and disappeared into nearby hills to 'have a nap'.

Onlooker Jinwimon said: 'This happened near my house. He came early in the morning before going back to the forest to sleep.

'Plai Sarika lives around here. He is familiar with humans so he is never scared and he never harms anyone. He's a beautiful, big boy.'

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild where they wander freely among protected forests. Male Asian elephants, unlike African elephants, roam alone once they are over 10 years old while females remain with the herd.

There is sometimes conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages so wildlife rangers are tasked with monitoring their movements.

A similar number of elephants in the country are also kept in captivity to work in the tourist industry or at religious festivals and weddings. A small number still work in commercial logging.