This is the heartwarming moment a resident rescued a flying squirrel stuck on a barbed wire fence.

The kindhearted man was about to enter his garden when he discovered the particoloured flying squirrel trapped on the spiked coil in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Footage shows the tree glider sprawling on the sharp barbs, with its back leg pierced through the wire on May 16.

This prompted the rescuer, who was wearing gloves, to carefully remove the hapless injured rodent from the barrier, causing it to cry out in pain during the process.

Moments later, he managed to free the animal and took a closer look at its wounds.

The flying squirrel was reportedly taken for medical treatment.

The resident said: 'I think it had been drawn to the garden because of the fruit, and it attempted to swoop down for food but became caught on the fence.'

Thailand is home to several species of flying squirrels, which use flaps of skin between their limbs to glide between trees in search of fruit and insects.

These nocturnal rodents can travel distances of up to 165 ft (50 m) in a single glide as they search for fruit, nuts, tree sap, and insects to eat.