This is the moment an elephant demonstrated an incredible bond with her carer by rushing to his aid when she saw him 'fighting' with another man.
Footage shows Thongsri, charging across her enclosure in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to protect her keeper - apparently believing him to be under attack.
When the 17-year-old elephant reached her carer, she circled him to make sure he was safe and then appeared to stoop down on to her knees to check he was okay.
Footage captures the moment an elephant demonstrated her incredible bond with her carer by rushing to his aid when she saw him 'fighting' (pictured) with another man
The remarkable clip shows Thongsri charging across its enclosure in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to protect her keeper - apparently believing him to be under attack
In reality, the carer and another man had been pretending to brawl - possibly to demonstrate the animal's loyalty.
The remarkable clip, believed to have been captured in 2015, shows a volunteer running across the enclosure and grappling with the carer in an apparent play fight.
Seconds later, the keeper fell to the ground and the 'attacker' ran off - sparking an astonishing response from the elephant.
When the 17-year-old elephant reached her carer, she circled him to make sure he was safe and then appeared to stoop down on to her knees (pictured) to check he was okay
The animal can be seen running towards the action before stopping to circle her carer several times. The carer eventually stands up and gives the thumbs up to the camera.
Earlier this year, researchers in Finland found that elephants can be pleasant, outgoing and attentive - just like humans. Experts determined that elephants have differing personality traits, too.
Specifically, elephants can be aggressive, sociable and attentive. These three personality trait categories define both male and female elephants, said experts from Finland's University of Turku.