An elephant has died from exhaustion after years of carrying tourists to the famed Cambodian temple complex of Angkor Wat.

Sambo, who was believed to be 40-45 years old, died from a heart attack while ferrying two tourists to the temple.

The female elephant had been working for 40 minutes in the searing heat before she collapsed, according to the Daily Mail.

A veterinarian examined the elephant, determining it died "due to high temperatures, heat exhaustion and lack of wind that would have helped to cool her".

Passers-by were reported to have cried on seeing the collapsed beast.

The Angkor Wat temple complex is a popular tourist destination in northwest Cambodia (Ekabhishek/Creative Commons)

Sambo had been working for the Angkor Elephant Company since 2001, with manager Oan Kiri saying: "We're all very sad to have lost her."

Jack Highwood, who runs the Elephant Valley Project charity, said: "Conditions should be regulated, if working Cambodia’s last remaining elephants is what Cambodia actually wants to do."