This is the moment terrified residents took shelter in a temple as a wild elephant stormed through their village in northeast Thailand.

CCTV footage shows the locals fleeing behind the building's walls and hiding inside their cars when the jumbo named Jao Aon charged at them in Nakhon Ratchasima province on August 25.

After scaring them away, Jao Aon continued taking a leisurely stroll around Baan Khlong Pla Kang village.

Onlooker Arun Kaewsamakkee said: ‘The elephant was about to return to the forest, but it got excited when it saw the villagers. Fortunately, nobody was injured from the incident.'

Elephants are the national animal of Thailand. An estimated 3,800 elephants are living in the country in captivity, in camps, zoos and sanctuaries.

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).