Aerial footage captures a herd of wild elephants trampling across a farm to reach the forest.

The drone video shows dozens of jumbos marching between crops in Chachoengsao province, Thailand on February 16.

A large bull led the group while the adults formed three lines behind that protected the juveniles.

They were headed back to the forest beside the plantation after searching for food in a nearby village.

Thailand has an estimated 2,000 Asian elephants living in the wild - down from 100,000 a century ago - and around 3,000 in captivity owned privately. In the wild they are seen wandering freely among protected forests, occasionally appearing on the roads that run through them.

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