This is the terrifying moment an elephant performing at a religious parade went on a rampage and killed a devotee who was riding on its back.

The male jumbo was marching around the Wat Suthi Wararam temple as part of the Kathin ceremony marking the end of the local Buddhist monks' retreat in Bueng Kan province on November 10.

As the elephant endured the hot weather to take part in the festivities, it was said to have gone berserk and flung female worshipper Preyawan Karakulpoonperm, 47, to the ground then trampled her to death.

Dramatic footage shows mahouts struggling to control the rampaging bull as it stomped around the venue. It also rammed driver Somporn Baomano, 61, who was sitting on his parked motorcycle several feet away.

Rescue teams rushed Preyawan to the Pak Khat Hospital for 'multiple wounds across her body'. However, she was soon pronounced dead.

Somporn was being treated at the Nong Khai Hospital for serious chest injuries.

Police Captain Jirayu Duangkaew, deputy chief of investigation at the Pak Khat Police Station, said: 'We received a radio report that someone had fallen from the back of an elephant and was crushed to death while joining the Kathin procession.

'We have not charged anyone yet, as we are still gathering evidence and questioning those involved. The woman's relatives are currently in mourning. They want to take care of the funeral first before meeting with police.'

Onlookers said the earlier mood was lively as hundreds of villagers had joined the parade. Devotees, including children, also fed the elephants with bananas and sugar canes.

The deceased Preyawan was among the locals who rode palanquins on the jumbos' backs. She was said to have been flung to the ground and repeatedly thrashed when the elephant she was riding went rogue.

The bull was also reportedly in musth - a state of heightened aggression due to high testosterone levels - at the time.

Elephants are the national animal of Thailand. They have played roles in warfare, royal and religious ceremonies, and local livelihoods, making them a revered part of Thai culture.

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.

However, American animal rights organisation PETA has slammed the alleged unethical treatment of elephants that are used in Buddhist events and at some of the country's tourist sites,

In a report entitled 'Speak Out Against Elephant Abuse at Ayutthaya in Thailand', PETA wrote: 'Elephants belong in their natural homes, not in captivity, where they're prevented from engaging in the vital activities that make them healthy and happy, including foraging for food, taking dust baths, swimming, and most importantly socialising with their families and other elephants.

'Elephants mourn when they lose a loved one, and females stay with their families for life — but in Thailand, captive elephants like the ones at Ayutthaya are subjected to a ritual called phajaan, which translates to 'breaking the love between' mother and baby.'

The organisation claimed handlers physically abused the elephants to make them learn the tricks shown to tourists. They called on visitors to boycott elephant shows in Thailand.