A pair of black swans had to be rescued when they became trapped for two days with their feet beneath the icy surface of a small pond that froze overnight.

The birds were spotted by concerned students on the Normal University campus in Harbin, in Heilongjiang Province, northern China, following a severe snowstorm.

Footage shows the two beautiful birds stuck in the middle of the pond, with their feet frozen beneath the water. They reportedly remained that way for two days as the ice would not melt and passersby were initially too scared to try and walk on the surface.

An elderly man with a boat reportedly tried to get them out of the water before it froze but they were uncooperative and kept escaping each time he tried to pull them to dry land.

The university later said in a statement that the elderly man, named Ren Chenggui, has taken care of the swans every year since they came to live on campus.

Each November, he will place them inside a warm shelter as winter approaches. They added that he intentionally waits for the pond to partially freeze so the swans would have less movable range, making it easier to capture and relocate them.

This year, however, temperatures in the area suddenly dropped overnight and the water froze completely and trapped the birds. Ren said he and another person laid a board across the ice and then stepped forwards to rescue them. After they laid the board, they used food to attract the swans and caught them, then moved them to the shelter.

The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterfowl native to Australia. It is known for its striking and elegant appearance, featuring predominantly black plumage with a red bill, white wingtips, and a long, slender neck.