A wild elephant spooked an oncoming driver when it emerged into a dark road.

Footage shows the lone jumbo blocking the path as it became visible through the headlights in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand, on July 5.

But the creature slowly shied away and returned to the woods when it turned bright.

Driver Panon Manoping immediately stopped upon spotting the figure. He said he was so nervous as he was alone face-to-face with the massive animal.

He said: ‘I was warned about seeing elephants and even tigers in those parts. But I didn't have much choice as I would have to wait for a ferry if I didn't drive.'

However, the elephant seemed uninterested in the driver and left him to resume his journey.

Panon added: ‘The elephant was kind and gentle to share the road with me.'

As of 2023, there are an estimated 3,084-3,500 wild elephants in Thailand. The population has been increasing in recent years, but it is still a fraction of the estimated 300,000 wild elephants that lived in Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threats to wild elephants in Thailand are habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with humans.