This is the heartwarming moment a tourist gave water to a parched camel struggling to survive in a Chinese desert.

The holidaymaker and his friends discovered the hapless hoofed creature lying on the sand during their expedition in Alxa League in Inner Mongolia.

Footage shows the visibly weak four-year-old Bactrian camel lying motionless while the concerned tourists surround the animal on April 27.

The group leader then rushed to aid the humped mammal, gently supporting its neck while pouring water into its mouth.

A Mongolian guide explained that the wild camel had suffered from severe dehydration and exhaustion.

The team quickly launched an emergency rescue effort, working together to revive the animal and help it back onto its feet.

The wild Bactrian camel is a critically endangered species native to the deserts of northwest China and southwest Mongolia. Approximately 600 remain in China, with an additional 450 in Mongolia.

Listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, wild Bactrian camels face threats from habitat loss, illegal hunting, and hybridisation with domestic camels.