An American tourist held an elephant by its trunk to lead it for a walk along a path.

Footage shows the friendly girl guiding the jumbo that followed one step behind her in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The holidaymaker was with her family from the United States who visited the animal camp on April 6.

She appeared to struggle with the massive tusker's weight while the pachyderm was calm with its tail swinging while ambling.

Local guide Pha Kae said: 'The elephant was shy but did not pull away from her.'

Some elephants still live in the wild, but many are in captivity, working in tourism or living in sanctuaries. Because logging was banned and tourism has changed, many elephants are now kept in sanctuaries where they are protected and cared for.