BANGKOK (DPA) - A German man was injured by a marauding elephant in the Thai province of Chonburi, local officials said on Sunday (Aug 25).

The man had been observing the elephant at a local elephant camp when it charged at him and gored his left leg with its tusks.

"The elephant is in musth, which is their mating period, and male elephants can become very aggressive," camp veterinarian Padej Siridamrong told dpa.

According to elephant camp officials, the German expat lived nearby and was on his daily bike ride when he stopped to look at the elephant. Despite warnings, the man did not move away from the elephant.

The man was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.

Chonburi is located around 75km south-east of the capital Bangkok.