Hero wildlife rangers crawled through quicksand-like mud to save a stricken bird in Thailand.

Eagle-eyed conservationists Chatree Wongthong and Wirat Mahasap were making patrols when they spotted the hapless bird flailing in the middle of a dried-up reservoir at the Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Prachan National Park in Ratchaburi province on April 25.

Chatree waded across the bog to pick up the avian with its feathers caked in mud.

Holding the limp animal above the thick mire, Chatree dragged himself toward Wirat, who then fetched the bird using a long wooden stick.

The rescuers cleaned off the bird's dirty wings and gave it some water to provide relief from the scorching heat.

After recovering from the ordeal, it was able to fly away on its own.

Chatree said: 'The bird might have swooped down to drink water or catch a fish, but found itself stuck in the mud. We tried to rescue it slowly to avoid hurting its wings and legs.

'We still don't know what kind of bird it was, but it looked like a hawk. It flew away after its feathers had dried.'

He added that park rangers had also rescued a muntjac earlier in the same national park.