This is the breathtaking moment a wild elephant held up traffic to cross a road then take a dip in a pool.

The jumbo emerged from an orchard where it had been munching a farmer's fruit and then stomped across the highway last Thursday (September 3).

Shocked drivers pulled over and watched as the adult elephant trudged across the road and disappeared into bushes in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand.

It then sought out a small reservoir, where aerial drone video shows the jumbo splashing itself with water to cool off in the summer 35C heat.

Wildlife rangers arrived to monitor the beast and ensure it returned safely to the jungle without coming into conflict with humans.

The team, with the help of some locals, spent almost four hours carefully watching the elephant and waiting for it to return to woodland.

One of the wildlife officers said that the elephant had probably been hungry and left its herd to search for food among the homes.

He said: "The elephants sometimes come down the hills looking for food but they are friendly and have never injured anybody."

There are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 elephants living in the wild in Thailand, sometimes leading to friction when the elephants come into contact with humans.