This is the moment an incredibly brave man descended a 40-foot well to rescue a crocodile in southern India.

The incident occurred at Naganur village near Belgaum on August 18.

Goura Bai Nimbalkar, a farmer, spotted a 12-foot-long crocodile near her well on the night of August 17.

When she checked the next morning, she realised that the reptile had fallen into the water source.

She called local forest officials, who rushed to the spot, and tried to rescue the crocodile.

They pumped water out of the well and tried to tie the animal with ropes.

As the crocodile was agitated and moving constantly, it was impossible to throw a noose around it.

A forest department official, Prabhakar Gokak, offered to go down into the well to rescue the crocodile.

He descended in the bucket of a crane and managed to slip a rope under the crocodile, which tried to snap at him repeatedly.

Suresh Hulikeppa, an eyewitness, said: “The rescue was risky as he was within the striking distance of the crocodile. He had to tie it up as well as maintain his precarious balance.”

Prabhakar managed to secure the crocodile with ropes and the reptile was lifted slowly from the well with the help of a crane and released later in a nearby river.

This is the moment an incredibly brave man gets down a 40-feet deep well to rescue a crocodile.

The heartstopping incident occurred at Naganur village near Belgaum in South India on August 18.

Goura Bai Nimbalkar, a farmer, spotted a 12-feet-long crocodile near her well on the night of August 17. When she checked the next morning, she realised that the reptile had fallen into the well.

She called local forest officials, who rushed to the spot, and tried to rescue the crocodile. They pumped water out of the well and tried to tie up the animal with ropes. As the crocodile was agitated and moving constantly, it was impossibly to throw a noose around it.

A forest department official, Prabhakar Gokak, offered to go down down the well to rescue the crocodile. He went down riding the bucket of a crane and managed to slip a rope under the crocodile, which tried to snap at him repeatedly.

Suresh Hulikeppa, an eyewitness, said: “The rescue was risky as he was within the striking distance of the crocodile. He had to tie it up as well as maintain his precarious balance.”

Prabhakar managed to secure the crocodile with ropes. The reptile was slowly lifted from the well with the help of a crane and released at a nearby river later.