A wild elephant attacked a wildlife ranger then rampaged through a village before overturning a truck.

The jumbo named Plai Kai Daeng broke its caretaker's ribs before tearing through rural homes in Ranong province, Thailand, on April 29.

The mahout was rushed to the Kra Buri Hospital while wildlife officers were deployed to subdue the hormone-addled male elephant.

Footage shows the 22-year-old bull chasing away a policeman before flipping over a vehicle with its giant ivory tusks.

The provincial livestock office, police, and local authorities surrounded the aggressive pachyderm as it trundled in front of houses.

Officials said that Plai Kai Daeng overturned cars and damaged homes.

The elephant was eventually cornered in a rubber tree orchard. Staff had difficulty subduing it due to its hostility, with Plai Kai Daeng angrily charging at them whenever they approached.

A well-aimed tranquiliser shot later put the jumbo to sleep, allowing authorities to bring it under control.

An officer who was chased by the elephant told local media that he was afraid he would be trampled.

He said: 'I've been doing this job for a while so I thought I was confident approaching elephants. But this one was more aggressive than any I have met before. Now we need to make sure he stays in the forest and doesn't go into any more villages.'

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.