Terrifying moment hungry elephant charges at wildlife officers

A hungry wild elephant angrily chased away forest officials who tried to stop it eating a farmer’s crop in a village in Thailand.

They were called in after a herd of elephants stormed the village in Nakhon Nayok province looking for food.

The officers tried to drive the animals away but one of the elephants got furious at being disturbed during its meal and charged at the two men.

A video clip shows the terrifying moment the officers are chased away by the wild elephant, which is known by the name of Sarika. It stops running after the officers retreat.

It stares down the staff, seemingly keeping his eye on them in case they returned. The animal then continued eating the fruits in peace with the other elephants when the national park staff were gone.

A wildlife official said a herd of more than 40 elephants wander into the area for food during the dry season. They often destroy the farms of nearby villagers.

“We usually receive a call from the people who live nearby when the elephants arrive. We try to help them the best we can but some of the jumbos are aggressive,” wildlife officer Amnat Norasin said.

The animals ate for almost two hours before going for a dip in a nearby pond and eventually heading back into the forest at night.