This is the heartwarming moment an excavator rescued a baby camel stranded in thick sand in a desert in China.

The calf was discovered by resident Mr Zhou with its leg trapped in a deep ground crack in Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, on October 26.

Footage shows the driver carefully manoeuvring the machine close to the fissure and gently lifting the animal from the ground using the bucket. The Good Samaritan successfully retrieved the juvenile camel unscathed, prompting the exhausted animal to gradually walk away.

The rescuer said: 'I was working nearby when I saw the animal sitting on the ground. When I took a closer look, its leg was stuck, so I didn't hesitate to help.'

China is not traditionally a country associated with camels but the animals play an essential role in both cultural heritage and economic life, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions of the country, such as the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

The country is home to Bactrian camels, which are uniquely suited to harsh conditions, including freezing winters and extreme heat in summer. Bactrian camels can withstand temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.