This is the touching moment an elephant knelt down to give a religious donation to a Buddhist monk.

The jumbo held leaves in its trunk and bowed its head towards the orange-robed man that he and his caretaker found sitting at a park in Surin province, Thailand on February 3.

Footage shows the creature bending all its limbs and crawling in an awkward position to give the precious offerings to the monk.

The elephant then happily lay on the grass by the man's foot before his caretaker gave him some snacks.

Buddhism is the official religion of Thailand and it was followed by more than 95 per cent of the population.

Followers believe that offering food and material goods to monks is an essential part of the faith to receive good luck or karma.