Harrowing footage shows a severely underweight elephant being forced to perform tricks inside an empty zoo.

The adult female elephant with long white tusks was performing in front of a virtually deserted stand at a crocodile farm attraction. With its bones clearly visible, the 'cow' can be seen balancing on two wooden tables before being led down and forced to walk across a metal tight rope. It pauses in the middle, turns round and walks back.

The skeletal frame of the Asian elephant - with its pelvis and shoulder poking through its saggy leathery skin - raised concerns from one visitor who was attending the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo.

The filmer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ''I've been visiting the zoo for a long time because I like to look at the animals. But when I visited last week I was upset when I saw one of the elephants. The elephant looked so thin and weak. I felt so sorry for him. I think he needs help. I don't want to say anything bad about the zoo, because they might be problems and cannot afford to look after the elephant. I would like people to help the elephant.''

A spokesman for the zoo said that all the elephants are ''good''. They said: ''No, no, no. The elephants here are all healthy. They are all good. None of them are thin. They are all fed well. They do shows every day.''