A rescue team saved a monkey after it was electrocuted and became stuck on top of a tree before falling to the ground.

The macaque was swaying on a tree when it accidentally touched the transformer on top of an electrical pole in Chonburi province, Thailand on September 6.

It suffered burn wounds on its neck and fell on the ground but the 20kg primate gained consciousness and climbed the tree again out of fear.

Locals thought that it could be severely injured so they called the animal rescuers for help to catch and give the monkey some medical treatment.

Onlooker Lek Thongsuk said: ‘I see this macaque climbing up the wires almost every day. When it was electrocuted, I heard a loud explosion and the home lights in the area were suddenly off.

‘I thought it was dead but there was smoke coming from its body. Then it just started climbing up the tree and we were worried it could die.’

Upon arrival, the rescue team spotted the injured monkey still on top of the tree and thought it would be a good idea to treat its wound.

They shot an anesthetic at the male macaque’s bottom and waited for the drug to kick in. Team members held onto a cloth beneath the tree to prevent it from falling straight to the ground and brought a backhoe to carry the monkey.

However, just as the backhoe was about to reach the monkey, the macaque fainted and fell to the ground with great force.

The team members held on to the cloth, but due to the monkey’s heavyweight, it slipped away and crashed to the floor.

Shocked rescue volunteers examined the macaque’s body and found it had miraculously survived the fall but was still drowsy from the anaesthetic shot.

The team took the injured macaque into a cage to have it delivered to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation to have it treated before being released to the wild.