This is the dramatic moment elephant handlers grappled with an escaped bull in heat.

The 30-year-old jumbo had broken free from its chains and wandered into a forest in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on February 12.

Fearing it would attack residents in its aggressive state, the mahouts from several elephant camps in the area pursued the elephant to bring it under control.

Footage shows the volunteers squaring up against the agitated bull, which charged at them in a testosterone-fuelled rampage. They later brought two female elephants to distract the bull before tying its chains to a large tree.

Despite being tethered, the tusker continued to show hostility, snorting and stomping its feet whenever the men approached.

Authorities said it took 30 minutes to catch the elephant.

Apichit Duangdee, an officer of the local elephant sanctuary, said: 'The mission was completed with the cooperation of volunteer mahouts from many elephant camps, including the Saen Elephant Home, Doo Chang Doo Doi, in preparing equipment to respond to the incident. Because we were dealing with an elephant in heat, we needed to act quickly in order to reduce danger to both the volunteers and the villagers.'

Elephant musth is a periodic condition in male elephants characterised by heightened testosterone levels, increased aggression, and the secretion of a thick, pungent fluid from their temporal glands. It is associated with reproductive behavior and can last for several weeks, during which the elephant may be more dominant and unpredictable.

Though the elephants are usually not aggressive, there have been several fatal elephant attacks in Thailand in recent weeks.

On January 17, farmer Anukoon Khampraphai, 42, was trampled to death by a wild elephant he crashed into, also in Trat province.

On January 3, Spanish tourist Blanca Ojanguren Garcia, 22, was struck by an elephant she was bathing at the Koh Yao Elephant Care centre in Phang Nga province. She reportedly slipped and accidentally grabbed its trunk, causing the animal to smash her against the rocky pool.

On January 19, Anan Chorawek, 53, was killed by an elephant bull named Seedor Sab at his orchard in Trat province. He reportedly set off fireworks trying to drive Seedor Sab away, but the loud noise only enraged the pachyderm. It charged at him and trampled him to death.