Two pangolins have been released back into the wild after escaping imminent death – having been rescued from nearly being boiled alive at a wet market.

In the clip, one of the scaly anteaters can be seen seen curling up into a ball for protection as it's released into the wild – seemingly scarred from its recent experience of almost being cooked as food.

The creature is gently placed next to a forest and after a few minutes, uncurls its body and waddles off into safety.

The other pangolin was also freed on the same day and has returned to its natural habitat.

Both of the mammals were saved by team members from WildatLife e.V, a non-profit organisation, who found them at Oluwo Fish Market, Epe, Lagos in Nigeria.

The mammals were taken to the charity's sanctuary and, once in better health, were brought to a fern-filled forest to be released.

The team have successfully rescued eight pangolins and released two, and have also rescued a duiker and a sea turtle from the wet market.

Dozens of other wildlife animals have been killed at Oluwo Fish Market.

During their visit, WildatLife e.V team witnessed an array of wildlife animals, both living and dead, including pangolins, sea turtles, bushbucks, Nile monitors, dwarf crocodiles, duikers, civets, genets, pottos and even monkeys.

A shocking video shows one animal, later identified as a dog by vets due to the skull formation, being boiled alive in a tub of dirty water.

Another horrifying clip reveals a man skinning a baby crocodile alive with a knife, mercilessly removing the scales from the creature’s face.

Meanwhile, a woman can be seen proudly showing off slaughtered animals’ heads with their skinned bodies displayed on a metal rack, as another clip shows a bucket of cooked monkey body parts being prepared for a meal.

“Our team risks a lot to expose the truth about wildlife trafficking, and show the world that horrific wet markets continue to operate daily around Africa,” Carly G Åhlén, wildlife conservationist and senior advisor for Wildatlife e.V, told Jam Press.

“It's not just China that has a taste for endangered species like pangolin and primates, and we hope our investigative footage will help us gain justice for critically endangered animals and stop wildlife crimes before it is too late for these threatened species.

“We have rescued two pangolins and one sea turtle; they are in recovery and will be rehabilitated back to the wild but we must close wet markets internationally if we want to achieve a real balance with our planet and stop further pandemics from happening.”