This is the moment a toddler jumps in front of a moving car to save his cousin from being run over.

In the video, the two-year-old boy from the city of Kaifeng in Henan, China, can be seen playing with his cousin in an alley when he saw a car coming their way on Thursday, December 28.

He then immediately stopped what he was doing and jumped in front of the little girl to protect her, before moving her away to the side so that the vehicle could pass.

The boy's mum identified only as Ms Zhou, said she always taught him to protect her, but was still surprised by the surveillance footage.

She added that the two children grew up together as the families were very close and would often fight, but she never expected him to listen to her that he should protect girls.