Battle of the elephants: Giant warriors re-enact ancient fight in Thailand

The giant bull elephants have been specially trained by their skilled mahouts to fight - but the real battle is in training the elephants to know the difference between a mock clash and a real one.

'These are war scenes depicting the kings going to battle,' said Ewa Narkiewicz, from Elephantstay in Thailand.

'Our elephants are highly trained using special techniques. The idea is to show Thai people what role the elephant played in their history.'

Elephants Plai Ngathong and Plai Cocholaat are residents of Elephantstay in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Here the 25-year-old bulls have undergone years of training to safely recreate mock fight scenes.

The production of King Naresuan tells the story of Yuttahadhi, or the 'Elephant Battle', when the Siam King fought and killed the Burmese prince Minchit Sra on elephant back.

It features elephants, riders on horseback, hundreds of extras, fireworks and flares in a purpose built stadium near Suphanburi, 135km north of Bangkok.

Along with providing an important source of income, the work gives the elephants much-needed stimulation and pushes the skills of their mahouts.