Territorial pet dogs protected their owner's property by chasing away a wild elephant.

Footage shows the pack of plucky pooches sprinting after the jumbo that had approached the homes in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, on April 6.

Despite being chased away, the elephant later returned to roam near houses, even bringing other herd members with it.

Onlooker Samuang Chanthachot, a wildlife ranger, said: 'The elephant was frightened of the dogs. They are small but very aggressive when they want to protect their home.

'The elephant returned to the forest and was not hurt. We will monitor his movements to try and prevent him from returning to the 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.

Male Asian elephants, unlike African elephants, roam alone once they are over ten years old while females remain with the herd. They are most during mating season from November to January when they emerge from the jungles in search of a mate.

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.