A baby bear with a wounded arm was rescued from a raging grass fire in northern Thailand.

Locals battling the blaze noticed the four-month-old Malayan sun bear cub hiding by a stream in Ratchaburi, central Thailand on Monday (09/03) morning.

The young female had ran away from a vegetation fire that has ravaged the mountainous region, burning 790 acres of the Thai Prajan national park so far.

She was found with an inch long wound on her front right arm that had started to rot.

Village officials brought the bear to the national park office where the wound was examined and treated by the field vet.

The vet, Anurak Sakulpong, said the cub wound was in a severe condition as the arm had already become infected. It may now have to be amputated to stop the spread.

Anurak said: "We're not sure whether we can successfully treat the cub's injured arm so we might have to amputate it.

"It could be a bite wound from another animal or she might have ran into a stick or a rock while she was fleeing the fire.

''She's safe now, away from danger and we will do our best to treat the cut and save her arm.''

The wounded cub was later sent to an animal rescue centre to treat her wound more effectively.

Grass fire have been burning across parts of rural northern Thailand for several weeks, with fire crews struggling to contain them.