Disturbing video footage has emerged of an Asian elephant being beaten by its captors in an attempt to tame it for the Indian tourism trade.

The video shows the mammal with one of its front legs tied to a tree as three men take turns to beat it with canes.

The elephant drops to its knees before collapsing to the ground as the beating continues.

The men allegedly beat the animal so hard they broke one of its hind legs, animal charity Save the Asian Elephant (STAE) said.

Duncan McNair, STAE CEO, told Mail Online: "This horrific brutality filmed in India by an undercover supporter of STAE is another variation of torture called ketti azhikkal, intended to remind the elephant after coming out of musth - period surrounding mating where testosterone gets very high - of its human domination."

India elephants with knitted jumpers Show all 9 1 /9 India elephants with knitted jumpers India elephants with knitted jumpers Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra, India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Phoolkali and Laxmi (left) watch while the final touches are completed. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Phoolkali and Laxmi (left) watch while the final touches are completed. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Phoolkali and Laxmi (rear) show off their jumpers. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Phoolkali Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Phoolkali and Laxmi (rear) show off their jumpers. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Suzy, (front) Phoolkali and Laxmi (rear) show off their jumpers. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Suzy, (front) Phoolkali and Laxmi (rear) show off their jumpers. Roger Allen India elephants with knitted jumpers Elephant jumpers. Badly treated rescued elephants at the Wildlife SOS sanctuary outside Agra India with their newly knitted jumpers are on show for the first time, they are all effected by the cold after their ordeal at the hands of owners. Suzy, (front) Phoolkali and Laxmi (rear) show off their jumpers. Roger Allen

Nuggehalli Jayasimha, director of Humane Society International in India, told The Independent: "The practice of using and abusing elephants to serve the tourism industry in India is rampant and unethical to say the least.

"Elephants, by nature, do not perform the tricks essential to satiate the demands of this ever growing industry and hence the process of training the elephants to perform involves a tremendous amount of cruelty including starvation, beating and chaining them for days on end."