This is the adorable moment an excited pet elephant ran over to greet a Buddhist monk visiting homes.

The 19-year-old jumbo named Tho Ngern bounded out from his field to see the local religious leader in Surin, Thailand, on July 30.

Footage shows the animal kicking up a cloud of dust towards the roadside, where two mahouts were preparing alms to give to the lama.

It then stood beside them, seemingly waiting patiently for food.

The filmer said: 'The mahouts usually tie their elephants loosely within the household area. That is why Tho Ngern can roam around.

'The elephant is fond of monks because they share food with her. This time, the monk had three bananas in his bag, so he just gave them to her,' he added.

Elephants are known for their voracious appetite. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found need to eat up to 150kg of food per day - the equivalent of 375 tins of baked beans

Thailand has an estimated 4,000 elephants in captivity. They are put to work in the logging industry, tourism resorts or kept privately for use at religious events and rituals.