This brainteaser's huts and trees are obvious - but can you can find the elephant in five seconds?

A mind-bending optical illusion has left people scratching their heads after  challenging viewers to spot a hidden elephant in five seconds. 

But, beyond the visual puzzle lies a deeper question: what does your speed in spotting the elephant reveal about your personality? 

The brainteaser image has been created by Bright Side, a YouTube channel that regularly posts psychology tests, fun optical illusions and creative riddles to their 44 million subscribers.

Uploading the tricky optical image as part of a compilation series in June 2021, Bright Side captioned the video with: '12 riddles that reveal your true personality type.'

According to the creators, what you first spot in the image can reveal if you 'value tradition' or a 'great listener and loyal to friends' - but with less than a third of viewers seeing an elephant first, the puzzle is trickier than it looks.

A mind-bending optical illusion has left people scratching their heads after challenging viewers to spot a hidden elephant in five seconds

The image presents a seemingly ordinary scene of a village made up of huts, birds and various trees.

But within its depths lies a cleverly camouflaged elephant waiting to be discovered.

With only a brief five-second window to unveil the elusive silhouette, participants must rely on their sharp eyes and quick thinking to succeed.

However, the intrigue doesn't end with the challenge itself - according to the creators, the speed at which one can detect the elephant and the way you perceive the image may offer insights into one's personality traits.

If you immediately see the elephant and overlook the village, you might be characterised as respectful, loyal, and a great listener. 

'If you saw no village but an elephant at first glance you are respectful to others, loyal to your friends and a great listener. You are loving, caring, and thoughtful, and that's why so many people love you,' explained a narrator in the video. 

However, if you first spot a village with huts, birds and trees, according to creators, you may 'value tradition and prefer a peaceful and simple style of life.'

The trick to finding the elephant lies in searching for a minimalistic outline rather than a hyper-realistic animal. 

The image presents a seemingly ordinary scene of a village made up of huts, birds and various trees

The trunk of the animal begins on the left side of the image, between the tall and the thinnest hut - if you follow the trunk up, two birds create the slight illusion of an eye and ear.

On the ground, you'll find the feet and toes of the elephant nestled between the straw hurts, with the elephant's body being outlined by the remaining birds and tree.  

A poll previously conducted by the U.S. Sun found that only a small percentage of individuals spotted the animal first.

Only 5.7 per cent of those polled saw the elephant first, while the majority of participants viewed only the village at 71.6 per cent.

Meanwhile, 8.1% of participants reported seeing both the village and elephant simultaneously.

Over 1,200 comments poured in on Bright Side's video from individuals who shared what they first spotted

Over 1,200 comments poured in on Bright Side's video from individuals who shared what they first spotted, with one person writing: 'Who saw an elephant instead of a village with huts? Let's be honest nobody saw the elephant.'

A number of people responded, with one individual writing, 'I see the elephant but it takes me 15 mins to see... Not gonna[sic] lie. It's hard,' while a second viewer said, 'No, I saw the elephant right off... standing over a couple of huts.'

Meanwhile, another optical illusion can reveal if you're a 'stubborn' person or if everyone wants to be your pal because of how 'loyal' and 'trustworthy' you are.

The picture was shared in March by TikTok creator Mia Yilin, who boasts more than 450,000 followers on the video-sharing app, where she has become famous for her interpretations of different optical illusions.

According to the content creator, her latest offering can tell you if you're someone who wants things to always go 'your way' or if people are 'grateful' to be around you.