A kind villager rescued a calf that was stuck in a canal while drinking water.

Jutarat Sudta was watching a mother cow and her baby feed along a river in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand when the juvenile slid down the slope on May 31.

The local waited for a few moments if the calf could figure out how to walk back up, but it remained there after almost 20 minutes as its distressed mother fought to help him.

She then decided to ask her family for help and rode towards the creatures outside their apartment building.

Local Jutarat said: 'The mother cow was very protective of her calf so I couldn't go down to rescue it on my own. I had to ask for help.'

To avoid agitating the adult cow, Jutarat asked for the farmer who owned the creatures so he could help pull the calf.

The farmer was still careful about holding the baby, and immediately gave the cows some space when the calf was finally pulled from the ditch.

Relieved Jutarat said: ‘Luckily the owner lived in the area so he came by and took it out from the water.'