This is the shocking moment a wild elephant smashed its head through a kitchen window looking for food in Malaysia.

The hungry jumbo visited the house occupied by three farm workers in Gua Musang City, Kelantan State early morning on January 4 in search of a snack.

It jolted residents awake when it shattered the window to poke around their kitchen at 4 am local time.

Footage shows the elephant using its trunk to rifle through dishes left on the sink. It tried to reach further inside, but destroyed the flimsy window frame and glass panels when it thrust its face forward.

A man in orange waved a lit mosquito coil at the creature, scaring it away into the darkness.

Resident Mohammad Khairul Faiza Muhammad Din, 30, said: 'We were very surprised to see an elephant rummaging through the kitchen with its trunk.

'It seemed to be looking for food. After going through our kitchen, it went towards the forest.'

The unruly pachyderm took several food items including salt, oil and instant noodles which were placed near the sink, he added.

Despite not hurting anyone, the creature raised alarm among the workers, who feared that more elephants will come to ransack the house.

Faiza said: 'In six years of work, this is the first time we have experienced an incident like this. Several times, elephants have damaged oil palm plantations, but now they have even entered residential areas. We are very worried.'

The Kelantan National Park and Animal Protection Service said it has launched an investigation into the incident. Staff believe the ravenous jumbo was attracted by the smell of food.

Mohamad Hafid Rohani, director of Wildlife Protection and Kelantan National Park, said: 'Upon receiving the report, officers immediately headed to the location but the animal had already entered the forest. It might have been an elephant out looking for food.'

He also asked residents to be more careful with the presence of wild elephants in the city.