Wildlife rangers ushered a wild Asian elephant back into the forest after he wandered into a village.

Footage shows officers on motorcycles and pickup trucks following the creature around in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, on May 16. The hungry jumbo emerged from nearby woodland in the Khao Yai National Park at night and was spotted searching around homes for food.

The men didn't force the animal to leave but called on it and guided it back to the direction of the sanctuary. They also stopped vehicles from passing by when the elephant crossed the road.

It was successfully returned by rangers back to its habitat in the morning. No one was reported hurt or damaged.

Wildlife officer Danai Sukantachart said: ‘We had to push the elephant back to its home to avoid accidents. It could have been hurt, injured residents, or damaged properties.'

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.