The canteen food at a school in Malaysia was so irresistible that a passing elephant wandered in to have a sniff around in hunt of a delicious snack.

Pupils and staff at the SMK Telupid school in the north-eastern Malaysian state of Sabah cowered behind their dinner tables as the gigantic beast roamed the halls.

In the clip the mammal can be seen leaving the canteen before it is heard walking down the corridor.

The hungry elephant was filmed in the school canteen in the north-eastern Malaysian state of Sabah by students cowering behind a table

The huge beast is seen leaving the canteen before being heard walking down the corridor outside

It is not known if the hungry animal managed to find anything to eat within the school.

Police chief V. Shivananthan confirmed the incident and said the day before around ten pachyderms got into the grounds of his police station in the neighbouring district of Beluran.

Nobody was injured in either incident.

Wildlife Rescue Unit vet Diana Ramirez said that a small herd of elephants are currently misbehaving near human settlements, and that four of the most aggressive elephants have been caught.

Once captured they will be held before being relocated away from humans.

She added: 'We are still trying to capture more and get the herd away from humans.'