A rarely seen moonrat was nursed back to health and released in Krabi, Thailand.

The creature was found suffering from dehydration and fatigue on April 3, 2018.

A dog had been chasing the moonrat through the undergrowth.

But a passing jogger, Pornchai Sudra, 53, noticed the moonrat and scooped him up before giving it water and bananas to eat.

He stopped the dog from chasing the moonrat and captured it in a cage "because it looked exhausted,” Sudra said. “I called my neighbors to have a look as we had never seen anything like it before.”

“We have never seen a moonrat in this wildlife sanctuary before,” said Wutthipong Chusangrat, the Chief of Khao Prabangkram Wildlife Sanctuary. “This is the first time.”

The moonrat weighed 1 kilogram and was 30-centimeters long and was later seen scurrying away after it was nursed back to health and released into a nearby jungle.

Moonrats can be found in the south of Thailand and Malay peninsula. They release a chemical that smells similar to ammonia to ward off attackers.

“Despite their name, moonrats are not rodents, although they have a slim body, small unpigmented ears, small eyes, and a tapered muzzle with long whiskers,” according to Britannica.com.

Heartwarming footage of a rare moonrat creature being released after it was nursed back to health.

The mouse-like creature with nose and ears like a pig was found suffering from dehydration and fatigue in Krabi, Thailand, on April 3.

A dog was barking at the moonrat and chasing it through the undergrowth - spelling almost certain disaster for the adorable rodent.

But passing jogger Pornchai Sudra, 53, noticed the moonrat and scooped him up before giving it water and bananas to eat.

Pornchai said: ''The dog was chasing that small creature that has black and white hair. I went to stop the dog from chasing it and captured it in a cage because it looked exhausted. I called my neighbors to have a look as we had never seen anything like it before.''

The moonrat was 30 cm long and weighed around kg. It was later seen scurrying away after being released into nearby jungle.

Wutthipong Chusangrat, Chief of Khao Prabangkram Wildlife Sanctuary, said: ''We have never seen moonrat in this Wildlife Sanctuary before. This is the first time.''

Moonrats can be found in the south of Thailand and Malay Peninsula. They release a chemical that smells similar to ammonia to ward off attackers.