A pair of wild elephants caused traffic chaos - holding up dozens of cars as they strolled through rural roads in Thailand.

Male jumbo named Yoyo - known for his stubbornness and frequent appearances - was spotted walking near a waterfall on February 13. A queue of motorists had to wait behind the elephant as it ambled along the highway and casually munched on some roadside foliage.

At the same time, another elephant known as Duan, emerged on a road around five miles away from Yoyo's location.

Wildlife officer Visut Sinka, who is familiar with the elephants in the Khao Yai National Park in Prachinburi province, said: 'Duan is less stubborn compared with Yoyo, but we're worried that there could be problems if they ever happened to meet each other. It's a challenge controlling traffic with just one elephant, but if there were two behaving aggressively, it would be dangerous.'

Park rangers were deployed to keep the two from crossing paths, as Duan was in musth and exhibiting heightened aggressive behaviour. Authorities successfully lured the elephants into the jungle before they could encounter each other.

Despite the traffic jam reportedly lasting for several hours, visitors to the area hoping to be closer to nature said they were pleased with the elephant sightings.

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 leading to conflict with residents. 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).