An elephant walks through picnic benches and a car park in Nakhon Nayok, northeast Thailand, on January 19.

Shocked visitors to the country park watched in amazement as the jumbo sniffed around before disappearing into woodland.

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild where they wander freely among protected forests. Male Asian elephants, unlike African elephants, roam alone once they are over 10 years old while females remain with the herd.

There is sometimes conflict when they come into contact with humans on roads and in villages so wildlife rangers are tasked with monitoring their movements.

A similar number of elephants in the country are also kept in captivity to work in the tourist industry or at religious festivals and weddings. A small number still work in commercial logging.