This is the heartwarming moment a passerby saves a newborn foal trapped up to its head in mud as its anxious mum watches on.
Video footage of the amazing rescue – filmed in Abag Banner county, Inner Mongolia, China – shows the mare standing by a river bank apparently alone.
It is only when the camera gets closer that it sees the stricken foal trapped up to its nose in thick, deep mud.
The mare seems to know she needs help and leads the man – named only as Badala – towards her trapped foal.
Then – as she prances around anxiously – he manages to pull the young horse out of the mud and brings it back to the river bank where it collapses with exhaustion.
It is only when the foal tries to stand up that it is revealed that it is so young it could have been born just hours ago.
Badala does not leave the foal’s side until it is able to stand and its mother is tending to it.
But both the mare and her foal seem reluctant to leave his side and watch him until he walks off.
Then they walk off to join other horses running loose in the field.
The video was later shared on Douyin – the Chinese version of Tik Tok – where it was praised by social media users.
One ‘angel wings’ commented: “The mare knows you’re saving her cubs, otherwise you wouldn’t even be close.”
While the user ‘Aronna’ added: Thank you for saving it cutie!”
And ‘vine vine’ wrote: “Brother, good people are rewarded.”
