This is the terrifying moment an angry wild elephant destroyed a wooden shed in Thailand.

The hungry creature wandered into a village in the Kap Choeng district of Surin province in search of food on May 17.

In its quest for a snack, the jumbo furiously rammed a wooden storehouse, tearing down the walls before gorging on a bag of raw rice. Footage shows the huge animal contentedly munching on the white grains.

Onlooker Abdullah Singha said the jumbo became calmer and did not cause further damage after having its meal. It was ushered back into the forest by wildlife officers.

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.