A wild elephant sparked panic among farmers after wreaking havoc in a palm plantation in Thailand.

The jumbo had to be shot with tranquilisers to stop destroying the trees in Rayong, eastern Thailand, on October 9.

Farmers said the elephant was looking for fruits from the palm trees and became aggressive with frustration after it had found none.

They called the Sriracha Wildlife Conservation for help who immediately sent vets and rangers in the area.

The rangers located the giant mammal after two hours and confirmed it to be an elephant named 'Nga-san' who lives within the conservation park.

They fired two strong doses of tranquilisers into the animal because it was too big and would not calm down after the first shot.

Footage shows how the elephant had to be lifted out of a ditch after it moved into the hole. The veterinarians checked on the animal and took it to a hut where it slept for 20 hours.

Park director Padet Laithong said: "We worked long hours over the night to corner the elephant, and waited more hours for it to wake up. We need to make sure that the wild jumbo can return to the jungle safely."

The rangers waited for the heavy rain to stop before they were able to carry it back to the park.

They put a GPS collar on the elephant's neck while sleeping so they can monitor where it goes once it wakes up.

Nga-san was also given saline solution and health check-up all night as it was struggling to wake up from the strong dose of tranquilisers.

There are an estimated 2,000 elephants living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity. In the wild they roam through deep jungle and in the country's protected national parks.

However, there is conflict when they come in contact with humans who also use the area of farming and gathering food.

Elephants are a protected animal in Thailand and killing them carries a maximum prison term of up to three years and a fine of 1,000 baht (25GBP).