A hungry elephant picked up a dropped smartphone and crushed the screen after mistaking it for a snack.

The jumbo was standing behind safety rails, hoping visitors would feed him at the Melaka Zoo in Malacca City, Malaysia on April 27.

It found a device that had previously accidentally slipped off a holidaymaker's hand while taking pictures. The tusker then reached own with its trunk and tried to eat it, believing it was a piece of food.

However, the elephant was disappointed when it realised it was a tasteless piece of plastic and metal and threw it back to the ground.

Footage shows the elephant using its trunk to take the phone before letting go of it seconds later. Its tight grip crushed the device and made a crunching sound.

The phone's owner, Ayer Kerohm, said: ‘The elephant thought it was food. When I received the phone back, it was already broken apart, so I had to buy a new one.'