Excavator Rescues Sheep by Scooping It Out of Icy River: Watch

A new clip shows what happened when an excavator operator in China tried to bring a struggling sheep to safety

A sheep in China got out of a pretty "baaa-d" predicament thanks to some trusty construction equipment and good timing.

The animal fell into an icy river in the Xinjiang city of Kashgar recently, according to footage of the valiant rescue effort and a description shared by Newsflare. In the clip, the mammal could be seen swimming around chunks of ice in the water as the operator of an excavator — who just so happened to be on site — came to its rescue.

The operator then lowered the machine's bucket, moved it around the water until it made contact with the sheep and repositioned it so they could scoop the animal up at the perfect angle and lift the sheep to safety.

After the sheep found its way into the bucket, the operator lifted the excavator and apparently helped the animal return to dry land, where it could be seen at the end of the footage staring off into the distance.

While it remains unclear exactly how the sheep fell into the river, who was operating the excavator and how long the sheep remained there, the animal appeared to shake it off and go about its business when all was said and done.

Of course, this isn't the first time an excavator has been put to use to rescue an animal from a dangerous situation. The machinery has previously saved elephants from mud pits, rescued dogs from rivers and even removed camels out of muddy swamps.

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The latest sheep rescue also takes place just months after the Texas Parks and Wildlife shared a video of endangered desert bighorn sheep being airlifted in a relocation effort in December.

It also comes just weeks after a nature preserve in India took on "one of the most challenging rescue operations ever conducted" when it saved a tiger and a wild boar after they both fell into a well.

In footage shared to Instagram by Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on Feb. 4, both animals could be seen trapped in a well in Pipariya Harduli village and swimming around the water inside before rescuers used a crane and container to bring them back to land.

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Per the clip, the tiger entered the container first before being raised to safety. Rescuers then lifted the boar out separately before both animals were released. "With unwavering determination, expertise, and teamwork, the operation was executed with precision, ensuring the safety of both animals," Pench wrote under one video, before adding under another that the "swift action" of the rescue team led them to safety.

Pench noted that "with expert coordination and care, both animals were pulled out unharmed and released back into the wild. This rescue highlights the importance of coexistence and conservation efforts. Together, we can protect both wildlife and communities!"

February's tiger-and-boar rescue mission involved the help of 60 people and lasted around three hours, starting at 9:30 a.m. and ending around 12:30 p.m. local time, per the reserve's deputy director, Rajnish Kumar Singh.