A well-behaved elephant obeyed traffic rules in Thailand.

The adorable jumbo named Nga Tong was seen letting cars pass through before crossing a mountain road in Nakhon Ratchasima province’s Khao Yai National Park on September 17.

It patiently waited by the side of the road while a traffic officer signalled to vehicles as they travelled along the park where herds of elephants reside.

Onlooker Tararat Raknailung said the elephant was well-known in the area as he was gentle and appeared to follow orders from park rangers.

He said: ‘He’s famous here. Nga Thong knows how to wait for the cars to pass first. He listens to orders from Sutthipon the traffic official.

‘From the two times I have seen him, he was a cute elephant who was used to cars and likes to eat leaves from treetops.’

Elephants are the national animal of Thailand. An estimated 2,000 elephants are living in the wild and a similar number in captivity.

In the wild, they roam through the deep jungle and in the country’s protected national parks but often encounter humans on roads and in villages. However, they are protected by laws and killing them carries a maximum prison term of up to three years and a fine of 1,000 baht (25GBP).