A video has emerged of a group of veterinarians and rescue officials surgically removing a fishing hook from the mouth of a flapshell turtle in western India.

The incident took place on July 22 near Mhasrul area at Panchavati village in Maharashtra state's Nashik district.

The flapshell turtle was rescued by Aniket Jain, an animal enthusiast and rescuer, from a group of locals, after it was caught using a fishing hook.

He soon contacted the Eco Echo Rehabilitation Centre, a wildlife rescue service based in Nashik, and handed over the turtle to its officials.

The officials, after getting nod from the Forest Department, Nashik Division, rushed the animal to a veterinary clinic, where doctors initiated the treatment of the animal to remove the fishing hook.

X-ray images showed that the hook was stuck inside the upper jaw and the inner nostril of the turtle.

Doctors then administered anaesthesia to the animal and removed the hook from its mouth.

Visuals show doctors trying to pull out the rod from its mouth with surgical blades and scissors.

The veterinarians kept the turtle under observation for one night as its nostril was bleeding.

After a few hours, the bleeding stopped and the turtle was stabilised.

The rescue officials then released the animal to the waters.

Flapshell turtles are freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia.