A wild elephant found the perfect way to satisfy its itch - using a tree to scratch its entire body.

The 40-year-old jumbo named Deaw ventured into the campsite in the Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast Thailand, on April 26.

Footage shows how the animal began by itching its trunk on the bark before turning around and spending several minutes scratching its backside.

Deaw was seen visibly enjoying moving from side to side to find the hard-to-reach spot on its sizeable rear end.

Satisfied, he then trudged away past a wooden hut as onlookers scrambled to get out of the way of the powerful creature.

Onlooker Chaiwat was visiting the area for a holiday when he recorded the elephant in the Pha Kluai Mai district of the rural region.

He said: 'The elephant behaved like there was nobody else around. He was so calm and wasn't concerned about people looking. He just satisfied his itch then left.'

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild but there is often conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages. A similar number of elephants are kept captive where they work in zoos and are hired out for religious festivals and weddings.