This is the terrifying moment a hungry wild elephant angrily chased away forest staff who tried to stop it eating a farmer’s crops.

Villagers called the officers for help after a group of jumbos entered their land to eat in Nakhon Nayok province, Thailand, on January 24.

Two brave wildlife officers tried to drive them away but the jumbo was furious at being disturbed during his meal. He turned and charged at the two men.

The jumbo, which is known by the name of Sarika, stopped running after the officers when he saw they were retreating but kept its eye on them in case they returned.

Sarika then continued eating the fruits in peace with the other elephants when the national park staff were gone.

One of the officers said that during the dry season, a herd of more than 40 elephants wander into the area and forage for food.

However, the area is also being farmed by nearby villagers so their harvest are often destroyed by the feeding animals.

Wildlife officer Amnat Norasin said: ‘We usually receive a call from the people who live nearby when the elephants arrive. We try to help them the best we can but some of the jumbos are aggressive.’

The jumbo ate for almost two hours before going for a dip in a nearby pond and eventually heading back into the forest at night. The same elephant was seen the week before walking over to a Korean BBQ.

An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild in Thailand and a similar number in captivity, where they live in sanctuaries, zoos or work privately for hire at weddings and festivals.

In the wild, there is a conflict when they come in contact with humans who also use the area for 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).