A terrified elephant ran away from protective pet dogs chasing it out of their owner's property.

Footage shows the jumbo dashing to the direction of the forest while a pack of plucky pooches sprinted after it in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on April 6.

Despite being chased away, the elephant returned to roam near houses, even bringing other herd members.

Onlooker Samuang Chanthachot, a wildlife ranger, said: 'The elephant was frightened of the dogs. They are small but very aggressive when they want to protect their home.

'The elephant returned to the forest and was not hurt. We will monitor his movements to try and prevent him from returning to the village.'

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild - down from 100,000 a century ago - and around 3,000 in captivity owned privately. In the wild they are seen wandering freely among protected forests, occasionally appearing on the roads that run through them.

Male Asian elephants, unlike African elephants, roam alone once they are over ten years old, while females remain with the herd. They are most during mating season from November to January, when they emerge from the jungles searching for a mate.

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