This is the heartwarming moment a baby fox stuck in a hunter’s trap was rescued in a Thai forest.

The female canine was searching for food when she mistakenly stepped on the wood and wire contraption set up under a tree in Si Sa Ket province on May 27.

Officers patrolling the Khao Phra Viharn National Park found the weak animal struggling to stand up as one of its legs was wounded from the wire’s tight grip.

The park officers freed the animal and took it back to their facility to have a health check with veterinarians until its injuries healed.

National Park head Jit Ardsonjorn said: ‘Our team was doing their regular patrolling when they found the fox. It was badly bruised from the trap. The animal tried to escape but the trap held its leg too tightly.’

Near the trap, officers found a makeshift shooting trap which they immediately destroyed after collecting evidence. The hunters who made the traps were now being traced.

Officer Jit added that their teams would launch stricter patrolling operation in the area to monitor all areas where hunters could be caught.

He said: ‘All national park officers have been urged to do stricter patrolling operations and asked to keep monitoring all prone areas for animal hunting.’

Foxes are smaller in size than dogs. They have a long sharp nose with vertical ears, sharp teeth and long tail. These animals are protected under the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act in Thailand.