A kitten stranded on a bamboo stake poking out of a river was rescued with a long plank - that it walked along to safety.

Footage shows the grey tabby clinging to the top of the slippery pole and meowing softly when locals noticed it in Samut Prakan, Thailand.

The moggy seemed eager to jump off but was too frightened of the water and unable to climb the vertical concrete wall.

Amphon Boonlila was trying to calm the feline down while his friend reached a beam over for it to use as a makeshift bridge on March 19.

The Good Samaritan said: 'The kitten was clumsy and fell into the water. It swam onto the bamboo stakes to save itself. We could not go into the water as it is deep and there was no boat around so we used a plank for it to climb.'

The moggy was unhurt and ran back to the village where it was given fresh food and water.

Thailand, a largely Buddhist nation, believes that kindness towards animals should be encouraged, with temples sometimes being a safe refuge for stray cats, dogs, and even monkeys that don't have homes.