Hormone-crazed wild elephant sparks panic after stomping along motorway

This is the dramatic moment a hormone-crazed wild elephant caused chaos after stomping across a motorway and foraging through homes after being defeated by a rival bull.

The eight-tonne jumbo emerged from the jungle before bringing traffic to a halt in Chanthaburi, Thailand, on December 29.

Frantic park rangers surrounded the 25-year-old elephant while residents locked themselves in their homes while it wandered among buildings.

Footage shows how the elephant crossed an eight-lane motorway before sniffing through people's garages.

The beast appeared to have oil pouring from its cheeks - indicating its highly-charged breeding period - and is believed to have left the safety of the forest ''in shame'' after a failed duel with a rival bull over a female.

Park official Sommai Kwangthong said: ''We temporarily closed the road to prevent danger to the elephant and drivers.

''We could see oil flowing from both cheeks indicating that it was in a breeding phase.

''This is a very dangerous time when the elephants are aggressive and unpredictable. The disturbance is expected to be caused by fighting in the forest with a rival elephant during the search for a mate. It may have then left the group after being defeated.''