This is the heartwarming moment five horses were seen watching over a sick foal at a tunnel entrance to protect it from cars.

Footage shows the brown colt lying in the middle of the motorway, surrounded by its mother and other horses in Hebei, China.

The encounter caused traffic congestion as motorists were stranded at the entrance of the Honghualiang Tunnel on July 19.

Concerned travellers immediately called the police for assistance to clear the animals from the road and track down their owner.

Adult horses can be seen stepping aside as a police officer cautiously approaches the colt.

They reportedly then used tree branches to drive the animals away and clear the road.

Traffic soon resumed, and the vehicles passed through safely.

An onlooker said: 'The horses blocked the road for 40 minutes as if they were waiting for help to arrive. The small horse was alive but could not get up on its own.'