A wild elephant strolling on the roadside slowed down traffic at a mountain pass in Thailand.

Footage shows the lone male jumbo walking on one lane as cars and motorcycles moved by in Khao Yai national park in Phetchabri province on January 22.

Park rangers assisted with the heavy flow of motorists but the creature appeared calm and gentle on the road.

Driver Kittipong Niamhom said: ‘I was going on a trip with my friends when we saw the elephant. Everyone was cautious not to scare it and drove slow.'

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.