This is the heartwarming moment kindhearted passersby rescued an egret with its foot stuck in a river clam and treated its wound before freeing it.

Two locals discovered the injured bird struggling to fly because of the trap weighing it down and pinching its digit, causing it to bleed, in Chongqing, China, on December 17.

Footage shows the duo removing the clam with a butcher knife to free the feathered creature's foot.

One of them then treated the wounds with iodine to prevent an infection.

They later released the calm egret, which can be seen walking on the pavement.

Egrets are long-legged wading birds with long necks and sharp bills. They live in swamps, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas.